懂中文 Dong Chinese

差

chà, chā, chāi

to differ

Original meaning: 

rub between fingers

Depicts grain (麥) being rolled between the fingers in the left hand (左). Based on the original meaning "rub between fingers", now written as 搓. The meaning later shifted to "uneven" and "error".

Components
麥 iconic component

麥  Iconic component

mài

  

wheat

左 sound,iconic component

左  Sound Iconic component

zuǒ

  

left

Evolution

差 Bronze script Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze script

Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
差 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
差 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
差 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

差  

chà

to differ; different, wrong; nearly, almost; an officer; to differ from; to fall short of; lacking; wrong; inferior; Taiwan pr. [chā]

差  

chā

difference; discrepancy; error; to err; to make a mistake

差  

chāi

to send; to commission; messenger; mission

Most common words with 差
Freq.
Word
Meaning

差

lacking

差不多

almost

差点

almost

差异

difference

差距

gap

Component uses

Meaning component in 1 character (0 verified)

蹉

Sound component in 8 characters (1 verified)

搓 磋 嗟 槎 蹉 鹾 嵯 瘥