héng

measure

Depicts a person () with a horn () on their head, indicating an unbalanced single horn as opposed to a balanced pair of horns. represents the sound. The meaning later shifted to "to weigh" and "measure".

Components
行 sound component

  Sound component

xíngháng

  

walk

角 iconic component

  Iconic component

jiǎojué

  

horn

大 iconic component

  Iconic component

dài

  

big

Depicts a person.

Evolution

衡 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
衡 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
衡 Clerical script Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical script

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
衡 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

héng

measure, weigh, judge, consider; to weigh; weight; measure

Most common words with 衡
Freq.
Word
Meaning

平衡

balance

衡量

to weigh

均衡

equal

失衡

to unbalance

抗衡

contend against

Component uses

Sound component in 1 character (0 verified)