Dong Chinese dictionary

cún

exist, keep

Phonosemantic compound. 子 represents the meaning and 才 represents the sound.

Components

子 Meaning component

zi, zǐ

child

才 Sound component

cái

talent

存 and 才 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in older Chinese.存 /*[dz]ˤə[n]/
才 /*[dz]ˤə/

Evolution

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

cún

exist, live, be; survive; remain; to exist; to deposit; to store; to keep; to survive

Most common words with 存

Component uses

Sound component in 1 character (1 verified)

Sources