簡 (jiǎn) — simple, brief; noun — a bamboo writing slip; a letter

entries → 簡

TSUMUGU · TOCFL 2 (est.) · 字

簡 character · TOCFL 2 (est.)

簡＝竹＋間

ㄐㄧㄢˇ · jiǎn

adj — simple, brief; noun — a bamboo writing slip; a letter

字源 FORM — what the parts do

竹義bamboothe bamboo on top

間聲jiān — gives the soundthe gate 門 with light 日 in the gap

Tjiān → jiǎn — the level tone rises to the third

A single strip of bamboo (竹) to write on — the 簡, one slip of the old bamboo book. 間 gives the sound, the tone risen from jiān to jiǎn. One slip holds little, so the sense turns to brief, then simple (簡短、簡單); a few slips tied up make a letter (書簡).

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

抽出一根竹（竹）簡，只寫得下三言兩語——話一簡，就簡了。

Pull one bamboo slip (竹) — it holds only a line or two; say it on one slip, and it comes out brief.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)竹簡、簡牘— a bamboo writing slip

→簡短、簡單— brief, simple常用

⇒書簡、信簡— a letter

(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension