Han character

See images of
Radical 91 片

片Category:Translingual lemmas#片00片Category:Translingual terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys#片00片Category:Translingual symbols#片00片Category:Translingual terms with redundant script codes#片00片Category:Translingual entries with incorrect language header#片00片Category:Pages with entries#片Category:Pages with 5 entries#片Category:Pages with raw sortkeys#片 (Kangxi radical 91, 片+0, 4 strokes, Cangjie input 中中一中 (LLML) or 中中一弓 (LLMN), four-corner 2202₇, composition ⿰丿⿱丄𠃍)

1. Kangxi radical #91, ⽚.

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 片
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Mirror image of 爿 (OC *braːn, “piece”), which is the pictogram of a bed.

Shuowen: half of 木 (“wood; tree”) to denote “to pare; to slice”; but this interpretation is not based on oracle bones and bronzes.

Pronunciation

Definitions

片Category:Chinese lemmas#片00Category:Chinese hanzi#片00Category:Chinese entries with incorrect language header#片00Category:Pages with entries#片Category:Pages with 5 entries#片Category:Pages with raw sortkeys#片

1. thin piece; flake; slice

   片子  ―  piànzi  ―  flake, small pieceCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

2. film; TV play; photograph; record

   影片  ―  yǐngpiàn  ―  film, movieCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

   片子  ―  piānzi  ―  film, movie, film reelCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

   1. (specifically) film (form of mass media); movie (Classifier: 部 m; 套 c)Category:Chinese nouns classified by 部#片00Category:Chinese nouns classified by 套#片00

      賀歲片／贺岁片 [Cantonese]  ―  ho⁶ seoi³ pin^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  Chinese New Year filmCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

      動作片／动作片  ―  dòngzuò piān  ―  action movieCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

      片商 [Cantonese]  ―  pin^3-2 soeng¹ [Jyutping]  ―  film distributorCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

   2. (by extension, CantoneseCategory:Cantonese Chinese#片00) video (Classifier: 條／条 c)Category:Chinese nouns classified by 條/条#片00

      去片 [Cantonese]  ―  heoi³ pin^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to play a videoCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

3. (medicineCategory:zh:Medicine#片00) tablet
4. (dialectalCategory:Chinese dialectal terms#片00) diaper; nappy (Classifier: 條／条 c)Category:Chinese nouns classified by 條/条#片00

   幫 BB換片／帮 BB换片 [Cantonese]  ―  bong¹ bi⁴ bi¹ wun⁶ pin^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to change diapers for the babyCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

   纜片／缆片 [Cantonese]  ―  laam⁶ pin^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to wear a diaperCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

5. part of a place; portion on the earth; area
   • 2000, 梁左 and 梁欢, 闲人马大姐 [Idler: Sister Ma], episode 100, 金雅琴 [Jin Yaqin] (actor):

     就是嘛！咱们这片儿啊苍蝇太多。 [MSC, simp.]
     就是嘛！咱們這片兒啊蒼蠅太多。 [MSC, trad.]

     Jiù shi ma! Zánmen zhèi piànr a cāngying tài duō. [Pinyin]

     Right indeed! This region of ours has too many flies.

     Category:Mandarin terms with quotations

6. (linguisticsCategory:zh:Linguistics#片00) subgroup; subdivision of a language

   廣府片／广府片 [Cantonese]  ―  gwong² fu² pin³ [Jyutping]  ―  Guangfu subgroup (of Yue Chinese)Category:Cantonese terms with collocations

7. to slice; to carve thin
8. (CantoneseCategory:Cantonese Chinese#片00) to fight
9. (CantoneseCategory:Cantonese Chinese#片00) to throw something along its thin side

   片石仔 [Cantonese]  ―  pin^3-2 sek⁶ zai² [Jyutping]  ―  stone skippingCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

10. (CantoneseCategory:Cantonese Chinese#片00, of a vehicle) to squeeze into a gap
11. (CantoneseCategory:Cantonese Chinese#片00) bribe

    收片 [Cantonese]  ―  sau¹ pin^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to collect bribesCategory:Cantonese terms with collocations

12. partial; incomplete; one-sided

    片面  ―  piànmiàn  ―  unilateral, one-sidedCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

13. Classifier for flat objects such as leaves, pieces of paper, slices, etc.

    一片麵包／一片面包  ―  yī piàn miànbāo  ―  a slice of breadCategory:Mandarin terms with collocations

14. Classifier for small nonspherical medicinal objects such as pills, tablets.
15. Classifier for tracts of land and areas of water.
    • 1984, “似水流年 [sìshuǐliúnián]”, performed by 梅艷芳 [Anita Mui]:

      望著海一片　滿懷倦　無淚也無言 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
      望着海一片　满怀倦　无泪也无言 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

      mong⁶ zoek⁶ hoi² jat¹ pin³, mun⁵ waai⁴ gyun⁶, mou⁴ leoi⁶ jaa⁵ mou⁴ jin⁴ [Jyutping]

      Gazing at the sea, tired, without tears or words

      Category:Cantonese terms with quotations

16. Classifier for CDs, movies and DVDs.
17. (used with numeral 一) Classifier for scenarios, scenes, feelings, atmospheres, sounds, clouds.
    • 1983, “偏偏喜歡你 [Only Love You]”, in 偏偏喜歡你, performed by 陳百強 [Danny Chan]:

      為何我心一片空虛 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
      为何我心一片空虚 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

      wai⁶ ho⁴ ngo⁵ sam¹ jat¹ pin³ hung¹ heoi¹ [Jyutping]

      Why is my heart a tract of emptiness?

      Category:Cantonese terms with quotations

18. (TeochewCategory:Teochew Chinese#片00) Classifier for doors and windows.
19. (HakkaCategory:Hakka Chinese#片00, TeochewCategory:Teochew Chinese#片00) side

    東片／东片 [Teochew]  ―  dang¹ pin³ [Peng'im]  ―  east; east sideCategory:Teochew terms with collocations

    許片／许片 [Teochew]  ―  he² pin³ [Peng'im]  ―  there; that sideCategory:Teochew terms with collocations

Compounds

Descendants

• → Proto-Southwestern Tai: *pʰɛːnᴮ¹
  • Ahom: 𑜇𑜢𑜐𑜫 (phiñ)
  • Lao: ແຜ່ນ (phǣn)
  • Northern Thai: ᨹᩯ᩠᩵ᨶ
  • Shan: ၽႅၼ်ႇ (phèn)
  • Tai Dam: ꪵꪠ꪿ꪙ
  • Tai Nüa: ᥚᥦᥢᥱ (phǎen)
  • Thai: แผ่น (pɛ̀n)

References

• “片”, in 漢語多功能字庫Category:Chinese terms with redundant script codes#片 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學Category:Chinese links with redundant wikilinks#片Category:Chinese links with redundant alt parameters#片 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• “片”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典Category:Chinese terms with redundant script codes#片 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

Kanji

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. (かた): one of a pair, one-sided^[1]
2. (ひら, きれ): slice
3. slight, a little
4. (ペンス): pound sterling

Etymology 1

From Old JapaneseCategory:Japanese terms inherited from Old Japanese#かたCategory:Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys#かたCategory:Japanese terms derived from Old Japanese#かた, from Proto-JaponicCategory:Japanese terms inherited from Proto-Japonic#かたCategory:Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys#かたCategory:Japanese terms derived from Proto-Japonic#かた *kata-. First cited in the Nihon Shoki of 720.^[2]

Japanese sources describe this as cognate with 方(かた) (kata, “side, direction”).^[3] However, the pitch accents differ: compounds starting with 片 show <LL-> accent in the Heian period, in contrast to 方, which is recorded with a <HL> accent instead, suggesting no direct relationship between the two.

Alternatively, 肩(かた) (kata, “shoulder”) might be a more likely cognate given that term's matching <LH> accent and compounds also indicating homonymy: compare 傾(かた)げる (katageru, “to tilt, to incline”), 担(かた)げる (katageru, “to carry on one’s shoulder”). Also, accent comparison might support that this word derives from the verb root 勝(か)つ (katsu, “to win; to tend to”) or 搗(か)つ (katsu, “to pound”) (both have an <L-> accent), and adverb 且(か)つ (katsu, “besides; moreover; also; and”) which has an <LF> accent.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Etymology 4

References

• “^△片”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Hanja

片 (eumhun 조각 편 (jogak pyeon))Category:Korean lemmas#편Category:Korean terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys#편Category:Korean hanja#편Category:Korean entries with incorrect language header#편Category:Pages with entries#片Category:Pages with 5 entries#片Category:Pages with raw sortkeys#片