Translingual

Han character

點 (radical 203 黑+5, 17 strokes, cangjie input 田火卜口 (WFYR), four-corner 6136₀, composition ⿰黑占)

References

• KangXi: page 1519, character 28
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 48083
• Dae Jaweon: page 2053, character 16
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 7, page 4745, character 11
• Unihan data for U+9EDE

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 點
Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *teːmʔ) : semantic 黑 ‎(“black”) + phonetic 占 ‎(OC *ʔljem, *tjems) – black dots.

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Definitions

點

1. dot; spot; speck
   • 在地圖上，城鎮是用小紅點標出的。 [MSC, trad.]
     在地图上，城镇是用小红点标出的。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zài dìtú shàng, chéngzhèn shì yòng xiǎo hóng diǎn biāo chū de. [Pinyin]

     On the map towns were marked by a red dot.

   • 船在遠處的水平線上成了一個小點。 [MSC, trad.]
     船在远处的水平线上成了一个小点。 [MSC, simp.]

     Chuán zài yuǎnchù de shuǐpíng xiànshàng chéngle yī ge xiǎo diǎn. [Pinyin]

     The ship became a mere dot on the horizon.

2. place; point; spot
3. point; aspect
   • 他在這點上很堅持。 [MSC, trad.]
     他在这点上很坚持。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tā zài zhè diǎn shàng hěn jiānchí. [Pinyin]

     He is most insistent on this point.

4. o'clock

   ⇒ 點鐘

   • 我今天6點去看他。 / 我今天6点去看他。  ―  Wǒ jīntiān 6 diǎn qù kàn tā.  ―  I am going to see him today at six o'clock.
   • 現在幾點了？六點了。 [MSC, trad.]
     现在几点了？六点了。 [MSC, simp.]

     Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le? Liù diǎn le. [Pinyin]

     What time is it? It's six o'clock.

5. (mathematics) point
   • 我們可以用一條直線把點A和B聯結起來。 [MSC, trad.]
     我们可以用一条直线把点A和B联结起来。 [MSC, simp.]

     Wǒmen kěyǐ yòng yī tiáo zhíxiàn bǎ diǎn A hé B liánjié qǐlái. [Pinyin]

     We can join point A to point B with a straight line.

6. (mathematics) decimal point
   • 收據上的價格讀作“三點二十四”。 [MSC, trad.]
     收据上的价格读作“三点二十四”。 [MSC, simp.]

     Shōujù shàng de jiàgé dúzuò "sān diǎn èr shí sì". [Pinyin]

     The price read "three point twenty four" on the receipt.

7. drop
   • 雨點 / 雨点  ―  yǔdiǎn  ―  raindrop
8. (Chinese calligraphy) a dot stroke (㇔)
9. to choose; to select; to order (food)

   Synonyms: 叫 (jiào)

   • 他們點了一些食物和一大碗湯。 [MSC, trad.]
     他们点了一些食物和一大碗汤。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tāmen diǎn le yī xiē shíwù hé yī dà wǎn tāng. [Pinyin]

     They ordered some food and a big bowl of soup.

10. to nod
    • 他點一下頭，指明了這個地方。 [MSC, trad.]
      他点一下头，指明了这个地方。 [MSC, simp.]

      Tā diǎn yīxià tóu, zhǐmíng le zhè ge dìfāng. [Pinyin]

      He indicated the place by a nod of his head.

11. to click

    ⇒ 點擊

12. to light; to ignite

    點香 / 点香  ―  diǎn xiāng  ―  to burn incense

13. a little; a bit; some
    • 你能再給我點茶嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
      你能再给我点茶吗？ [MSC, simp.]

      Nǐ néng zài gěi wǒ diǎn chá ma? [Pinyin]

      Would you please give me some more tea?

    • 我想要點蛋糕。 / 我想要点蛋糕。  ―  Wǒ xiǎngyào diǎn dàngāo.  ―  I want some cake.
    • 他有點蒼白。 / 他有点苍白。  ―  Tā yǒu diǎn cāngbái.  ―  He's a little pale.
    • 今天有點冷。 / 今天有点冷。  ―  Jīntiān yǒu diǎn lěng.  ―  It's a little cold today.

Usage notes

點 is often used for "o'clock", following the numbered hour: e.g. "three o'clock" is "三點". Normally 點鐘 would be used in the expression "1 o'clock" or "2 o'clock", due to the similarities between 一點 (meaning: "a bit") and 一點 (meaning: "1 o'clock"), but for other hours, the short form is used. Moreover, using 一點 for "1 o'clock" is not grammatically incorrect.

Coordinate terms

• (basic character strokes) 點, 橫, 豎, 提, 捺, 撇, 折, 鉤, 彎, 斜

Compounds

Etymology 2

A relation to 怎 (zěn) has been proposed.

Definitions

點 (Cantonese)

1. how to

   番茄應該點整？ [Cantonese, trad.]

   番茄应该点整？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   Faan¹ ke^4-2 jing¹ goi¹dim² zing²? [Jyutping]

   How do I prepare tomatoes?

2. how

   呢個點算係錯呢？ [Cantonese, trad.]

   呢个点算系错呢？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   Ni¹ go³dim² syun³ hai⁶ co³ ne¹? [Jyutping]

   How is this wrong?

   • 濕水炮仗點會響？ [Cantonese, trad.]
     湿水炮仗点会响？ [Cantonese, simp.]
     From: 許冠傑, 半斤八兩

     Sap¹ seoi² paau³ zoeng³dim² wui⁵ hoeng²? [Jyutping]

     How is a wet firecracker going to go off?

   • 全部要加慘到極，陀累全家，靠份糧點夠食，卒之查到豉油都冇滴 [Cantonese, trad.]
     全部要加惨到极，陀累全家，靠份粮点够食，卒之查到豉油都冇滴 [Cantonese, simp.]
     From: 許冠傑, 加價熱潮

     cyun⁴ bou⁶ jiu³ gaa¹ caam² dou³ gik⁶, to⁴ leoi⁴ cyun⁴ gaa¹, kaau³ fan⁶ loeng⁴dim² gau³ sik⁶, zeot¹ zi¹ caa⁴ dou^3-2 si⁶ jau⁴ dou¹ mou⁵ dik¹ [Jyutping]

     All of the prices have to going up; it's extremely miserable. I'm burdening my whole family. How is there enough to live off my salary? Finally, I found out there isn't even a drop of soy sauce.

3. no matter what; regardless of the circumstances

   佢點都會用筷子食飯，真係好醜。 [Cantonese, trad.]

   佢点都会用筷子食饭，真系好丑。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   Keoi⁵dim² dou¹ wui⁵ jung⁶ faai³ zi² sik⁶ faan⁶, zan¹ hai⁶ hou² cau². [Jyutping]

   He always uses chopsticks to eat. It's really shameful.

Derived terms

• (how): 點解／点解 (“why”)
• (a little): 一點／一点 (yīdiǎn)
• (o'clock): 點鐘／点钟 (diǎnzhōng)

See also

• 邊／边 (biān, “how [could one possibly]”)

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

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Readings

• On: てん (ten)
• Kun: ぼち (bochi)

Korean

Hanja

點 • ‎(jeom) (hangeul 점, McCune-Reischauer chŏm, Yale cem)

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Vietnamese

Han character

點 (điểm, chấm, chúm, đém, đếm, đóm, đêm)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation