translate

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
言 meaning component

  Meaning component

yán

  

speech

睪 sound component

  Sound component

  

spy on

Evolution

譯 Seal script Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal script

Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
譯 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
譯 Clerical script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
譯 Seal script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
譯 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

translate; decode; encode; to translate; to interpret

Most common words with 譯
Freq.
Word
Meaning

翻译

to translate

破译

to break a code

to translate

编译

to translate and edit

直译

literal translation