君 jūn sovereign
sovereign; ruler; prince; monarch; chief
How it came to be
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
The top part gives the sound; the mouth under it may be only a decoration, and in the oldest writings the top part alone often stood for this word.
用法
- A ruler/sovereign, and the Confucian 'gentleman' of virtue: 君主 (jūnzhǔ) monarch, 君子 (jūnzǐ) a man of noble character.
- 君子 is the loaded cultural ideal: 君子之交 a noble, unpretentious friendship; opposite 小人 (a petty person), 他是个小人 (tā shì ge xiǎorén) he is a petty person.
- Also an elegant/archaic 'you' (as in 君) and a respectful suffix on men's names (张君).