委

委 U+59D4, 委 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-59D4 ← 姓 [U+59D3] CJK Unified Ideographs 姕 → [U+59D5]

Translingual

Han character

委 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 竹木女 (HDV), four-corner 2040₄, composition ⿱禾女)

Derived characters

• 倭 唩 婑 㢻 㣦 捼 涹 㹻 逶 㮃 腇 矮 䅗 緌 䍴 蜲 諉(诿) 踒 躷 錗 䬐 餧 鯘 䴧
• 瓾 覣 䫋 魏 崣 萎 䆧 䰀 痿

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 259, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6181
• Dae Jaweon: page 524, character 11
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1038, character 4
• Unihan data for U+59D4

Chinese

trad.		委
simp. #		委

Glyph origin

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

Characters in the same phonetic series (委) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
矮	*qraːlʔ
躷	*qraːlʔ
捼	*noːl, *nuːl, *njul
倭	*qoːl, *qoːlʔ, *qrol
涹	*qoːl
踒	*qoːl
餧	*nuːlʔ, *qrols
諉	*nols, *qrolʔ
痿	*njol, *qrol
萎	*qrol, *qrols
逶	*qrol
覣	*qrol
蜲	*qrol, *qrolʔ
委	*qrol, *qrolʔ
緌	*njul

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *qrol, *qrolʔ) : phonetic 禾 (OC *ɡoːl) + semantic 女 (in the oracle bones inscriptions, there was 𠃊 instead of a woman kneeling).

Etymology 1

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wěi (wei³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): wei³

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): wèi

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): wěi

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): wai²

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): woi²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): vei²

• Gan (Wiktionary): ui³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vî

  (Hailu, HRS): vui^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vi¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): vei²
• Northern Min (KCR): ṳ̌
• Eastern Min (BUC): ūi
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ui³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): úi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ui²

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): ui²

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): wai²
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵ue / ³ue / ³uai / ³uei
  • (Jinhua): ³ui
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wěi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wěi
    • Wade–Giles: wei³
    • Yale: wěi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: wei³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei⁵³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: wèi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei⁵³/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: wěi
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): wei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uəi¹¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai²
    • Yale: wái
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai²
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯³⁵/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: woi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vɔi³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: vei²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vei⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ui³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vî
    • Hakka Romanization System: vi^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /vi²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: vui^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /vui⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋi⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: vei²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /vei⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ṳ̌
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ūi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ui³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ui³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: úi
    • Tâi-lô: uí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uie
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ui⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ui⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ui⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ui²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: úi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵²/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: ui²
    • Sinological IPA: /ui³¹/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: wai²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /βəi³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵ue
    • MiniDict: ue^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²ue
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ue³⁴/
  • (Northern: Jiading, Songjiang, Suzhou, Kunshan, Jiaxing, Shaoxing)
    • Wugniu: ³ue
    • MiniDict: uie^上
    • MiniDict: ue^上
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /uɪ³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /ue⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /ue⁵¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Kunshan): /uei⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /ue⁴³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /ue³³⁵/
  • (Northern: Changzhou)
    • Wugniu: ³uai
    • MiniDict: uai^上
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /uai⁴⁵/
  • (Northern: Chongming, Hangzhou, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ³uei
    • MiniDict: uei^上
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /ʔuei⁴²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /ui⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /uɐɪ³²⁵/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ³ui
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /ui⁵³⁵/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: uei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯⁴¹/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 委
Mandarin	Beijing	/uei²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/uei²¹³/
	Tianjin	/vei¹³/
	Jinan	/vei⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/vəʔ⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/uei⁵³/
	Xi'an	/uei⁵³/
	Xining	/uɨ⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/vei⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/vei⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/vei⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/uei⁴²/
	Chengdu	/uei⁵³/
	Guiyang	/uei⁴²/
	Kunming	/uei⁵³/
	Nanjing	/uəi²¹²/
	Hefei	/ue²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/vei⁵³/
	Pingyao	/uei⁵³/
	Hohhot	/vei⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/ue³⁵/
	Suzhou	/ue̞⁵¹/
	Hangzhou	/ʔui⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/v̠u³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/ue³⁵/
	Tunxi	/ue²⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/uei⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/uəi⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/ui²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/vi⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/vui²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/wai³⁵/
	Nanning	/wɐi³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/wai³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/ui⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/uoi³²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/y²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/ui⁵³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ui²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jweX

Rime
Character	委
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	支 (14)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於詭切
Baxter	'jweX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiuᴇX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷᵚiɛX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuɛX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔjwiə̆X/
Li Rong	/ʔjueX/
Wang Li	/ǐweX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔwie̯X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wěi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*q(r)ojʔ/, /*q(r)orʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrolʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	委	委	委
Reading #	2/4	3/4	4/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wěi	wěi	wěi
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjweX ›	‹ ʔjweX ›	‹ ʔjweX ›
Old Chinese	/*q(r)ojʔ/	/*q(r)ojʔ/	/*q(r)orʔ/
English	entrust to	collect; store	bend; hang down
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	委
Reading #	2/2
No.	12903
Phonetic component	委
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	委
Old Chinese	/*qrolʔ/

Definitions

委

1. to entrust; to appoint; to send; to commission
2. to cast aside
3. to gather; to pile up
4. indirect
5. lower reaches of a river
6. dejected
7. indeed
8. Short for 委員／委员 (wěiyuán, “committee member”).
9. Short for 委員會／委员会 (wěiyuánhuì, “committee”).
10. a surname

Compounds

• 中常委
• 主任委員 / 主任委员
• 主委 (zhǔwěi)
• 僑委會 / 侨委会
• 勞委會 / 劳委会 (láowěihuì)
• 原委 (yuánwěi)
• 受委屈
• 奉委
• 委付
• 委任 (wěirèn)
• 委任狀 / 委任状
• 委任直選 / 委任直选
• 委任立法
• 委任統治 / 委任统治
• 委內瑞拉 / 委内瑞拉 (Wěinèiruìlā)
• 委吏
• 委命
• 委咎
• 委員 / 委员 (wěiyuán)
• 委員制 / 委员制
• 委員會 / 委员会 (wěiyuánhuì)
• 委國 / 委国 (wěiguó)
• 委婉 (wěiwǎn)
• 委宛 (wěiwǎn)
• 委實 / 委实 (wěishí)
• 委屈
• 委巷
• 委曲 (wěiqū)
• 委曲成全
• 委曲求全 (wěiqūqiúquán)
• 委果
• 委棄 / 委弃
• 委決不下 / 委决不下
• 委派 (wěipài)
• 委瑣 / 委琐
• 委用 (wěiyòng)
• 委的 (wěide)
• 委禽
• 委積 / 委积
• 委結 / 委结
• 委罪
• 委託 / 委托 (wěituō)
• 委託書 / 委托书 (wěituōshū)
• 委託行 / 委托行
• 委質 / 委质 (wěizhì)
• 委身 (wěishēn)
• 委身玉盤 / 委身玉盘
• 委辦 / 委办
• 委過 / 委过 (wěiguò)
• 委重投艱 / 委重投艰
• 委靡
• 委靡不振
• 委頓 / 委顿
• 差委
• 常務委員 / 常务委员 (chángwù wěiyuán)
• 推委 (tuīwěi)
• 政務委員 / 政务委员
• 政委 (zhèngwěi)
• 斯文委地
• 櫃檯委託 / 柜台委托
• 深知原委
• 源委 (yuánwěi)
• 監察委員 / 监察委员
• 窮源竟委 / 穷源竟委
• 立委 (lìwěi)
• 立法委員 / 立法委员 (lìfǎ wěiyuán)
• 考試委員 / 考试委员
• 臺委 / 台委
• 黨委 / 党委 (dǎngwěi)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wēi (wei¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wei
    • Wade–Giles: wei¹
    • Yale: wēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai¹
    • Yale: wāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jwe

Rime
Character	委
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	支 (14)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於爲切
Baxter	'jwe
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiuᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷᵚiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔjwiə̆/
Li Rong	/ʔjue/
Wang Li	/ǐwe/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔwie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wēi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*q(r)oj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrol/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	委
Reading #	1/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wēi
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjwe ›
Old Chinese	/*q(r)oj/
English	委蛇 compliant, complaisant
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	委
Reading #	1/2
No.	12901
Phonetic component	委
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	逶
Old Chinese	/*qrol/
Notes	小徐禾聲

Definitions

委

1. Only used in 委蛇 (wēiyí, “winding; curved”).

Compounds

• 委蛇 (wēiyí)
• 虛與委蛇 / 虚与委蛇 (xūyǔwēiyí)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 委 – see 諉 (“to shirk; to give excuses”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 諉).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 委 – see 萎 (“to wither; to wilt; to decline; to weaken; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 萎).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of 委 – see 痿 (“to be lacking in sexual energies”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 痿).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

委

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

1. committee

Readings

• Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: ゆだねる (yudaneru, 委ねる, Jōyō)、すえ (sue)、くわしい (kuwashii, 委しい)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
委
い Grade: 3
on'yomi

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 委 (MC 'jwe|'jweX).

Affix

委(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. entrust; leave to
2. cast aside; abandon
3. detailed
4. Short for 委員会 (iinkai, “committee”).

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 委 (MC 'jweX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᅙᅱᆼ〯 (Yale: qwǔy)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Gwangju Cheonjamun, 1575	ᄇᆞ릴 (Yale: polil)	위 (Yale: wuy)
Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576	맛딜 (Yale: mastil) 더뎌둘 (Yale: tetye-twul)	위 (Yale: wuy)
Seokbong Cheonjamun, 1583	ᄇᆞ릴 (Yale: polil)	위 (Yale: wuy)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Hanja

Wikisource

委 (eumhun 맡길 위 (matgil wi))

1. hanja form^? of 위 (“to entrust; to commission”) [verbal root; affix]
2. hanja form^? of 위 (“short for 위원회(委員會) (wiwonhoe, “committee”)”) [noun]

Usage notes

• (committee): A common convention in news headlines, this is almost always written solely in the hanja form, even in contemporary Korean text otherwise devoid of any hanja.

Compounds

• 공위(共委) (gong'wi)
• 공정위(公正委) (gongjeong'wi)
• 대책위(對策委) (daechaegwi)
• 반민특위(反民特委) (banminteugwi)
• 방송위(放送委) (bangsong'wi)
• 부방위(腐防委) (bubang'wi)
• 상위(常委) (sang'wi)
• 선관위(選管委) (seon'gwanwi)
• 신위(信委) (sinwi)
• 위관(委官) (wigwan)
• 위신(委身) (wisin)
• 위양(委讓) (wiyang)
• 위원(委員) (wiwon)
• 위원장(委員長) (wiwonjang)
• 위원회(委員會) (wiwonhoe)
• 위위(委委) (wiwi)
• 위임(委任) (wiim)
• 위임인(委任人) (wiimin)
• 위임자(委任者) (wiimja)
• 위임장(委任狀) (wiimjang)
• 위임통치(委任統治) (wiimtongchi)
• 위정(委政) (wijeong)
• 위촉(委囑) (wichok)
• 위탁(委託) (witak)
• 전위(全委) (jeonwi)
• 지위(知委) (jiwi)
• 특위(特委) (teugwi)

Vietnamese

Han character

委: Hán Nôm readings: ủy/uỷ, uế

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