威

威 U+5A01, 威 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5A01 ← 娀 [U+5A00] CJK Unified Ideographs 娂 → [U+5A02]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan (Swap strokes 9 and 8 for Taiwan.)

Han character

威 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 戈竹一女 (IHMV), four-corner 5320₀, composition ⿵戌女)

Derived characters

• 𠋘, 喴, 㙎, 媙, 𫶆, 揻, 𣸵, 隇, 𮞩, 楲, 𥔃, 縅, 𦩬, 蝛, 𨩆, 鰄, 𨜠, 𦞏, 崴, 葳, 𬕚

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 261, character 24
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6259
• Dae Jaweon: page 527, character 27
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1404, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5A01

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 威
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
崴	*qruːl
威	*qul
葳	*qul
隇	*qul
蝛	*qul
鰄	*qul
楲	*qul

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : 戌 + 女.

Etymology 1

trad.		威
simp. #		威

畏 (OC *quls, “to fear”) is the exoactive derivation of 威 (OC *qul, “to overawe”), literally "to be intimidated" (Schuessler, 2007). In early writing, the character for 畏 was sometimes used directly as a substitute of 威 (wēi) (e.g. in the Da Yu ding inscription).

鬼 (OC *kulʔ, “ghost”) is a derivation (Baxter and Sagart, 1998).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wēi (wei¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): wei¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): wai¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): vei¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): ui¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vî

  (Hailu, HRS): vui^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vi¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): vei¹
• Northern Min (KCR): ṳ́
• Eastern Min (BUC): ŭi
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ui¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ui

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ui¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹ue
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei¹

---

• 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/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: wei¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai¹
    • Yale: wāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: vei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vei³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ui¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁴²/
• 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: vei¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /vei¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ṳ́
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ŭi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ui¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ui
    • Tâi-lô: ui
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ui³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ui⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ui¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹ue
    • MiniDict: ue^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ue
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ue⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: uei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 威
Mandarin	Beijing	/uei⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/uei⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/vei²¹/
	Jinan	/vei²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ve²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/uei²⁴/
	Xi'an	/uei²¹/
	Xining	/uɨ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/vei⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/vei³¹/
	Ürümqi	/vei⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/uei⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/uei⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/uei⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/uei⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/uəi³¹/
	Hefei	/ue²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/vei¹¹/
	Pingyao	/uei¹³/
	Hohhot	/vei³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ue⁵³/
	Suzhou	/ue̞⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ʔui³³/
	Wenzhou	/v̠u³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ue³¹/
	Tunxi	/ue¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/uei³³/
	Xiangtan	/uəi³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ui⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/vi⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/vui²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/wɐi⁵³/
	Nanning	/wɐi⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/wɐi⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/ui⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/uoi⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/y⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/ui³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ui²³/ /ui³⁵/ 俗

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jw+j

Rime
Character	威
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	微 (21)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於非切
Baxter	'jw+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʉi/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔuj/
Li Rong	/ʔiuəi/
Wang Li	/ĭwəi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔwe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wēi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔuj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qul/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	威
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wēi
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjwɨj ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔuj/
English	awe-inspiring
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	威
Reading #	1/1
No.	12789
Phonetic component	威
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	威
Old Chinese	/*qul/

Definitions

威

1. pomp
2. power
3. powerful
4. to dominate; to display power
5. (Cantonese) imposing; awe-inspiring
6. (Cantonese) to be imposing; to be awe-inspiring
7. a surname

Compounds

• 下車作威 / 下车作威
• 下馬威 / 下马威 (xiàmǎwēi)
• 不怒自威
• 伏威
• 伊威
• 作威作福 (zuòwēizuòfú)
• 作福作威
• 備受威脅 / 备受威胁
• 克倫威爾 / 克伦威尔 (Kèlúnwēi'ěr)
• 八面威風 / 八面威风 (bāmiànwēifēng)
• 兵威 (bīngwēi)
• 助威 (zhùwēi)
• 南威
• 史迪威 (Shǐdíwēi)
• 喊堂威
• 國威 / 国威 (guówēi)
• 地牛發威 / 地牛发威
• 夏威夷
• 夏威夷州
• 大發神威 / 大发神威
• 大顯威風 / 大显威风
• 天威 (tiānwēi)
• 奮威 / 奋威 (fènwēi)
• 奮武揚威 / 奋武扬威
• 威信 (wēixìn)
• 威信掃地 / 威信扫地
• 威儀 / 威仪 (wēiyí)
• 威儀孔時 / 威仪孔时
• 威克島 / 威克岛 (Wēikè Dǎo)
• 威力 (wēilì)
• 威勢 / 威势 (wēishì)
• 威化餅 / 威化饼 (wēihuàbǐng)
• 威名 (wēimíng)
• 威嚇 / 威吓
• 威嚴 / 威严 (wēiyán)
• 威士忌 (wēishìjì)
• 威妥瑪式 / 威妥玛式
• 威尼斯 (Wēinísī)
• 威廉 (Wēilián)
• 威德兼施
• 威悉河 (Wēixī Hé)
• 威振天下
• 威服
• 威望 (wēiwàng)
• 威權 / 威权 (wēiquán)
• 威武 (wēiwǔ)
• 威武不屈
• 威海 (Wēihǎi)
• 威海衛 / 威海卫 (Wēihǎiwèi)
• 威澤 / 威泽
• 威爾瑪 / 威尔玛
• 威爾遜 / 威尔逊 (Wēi'ěrxùn)
• 威猛 (wēiměng)
• 威瑪憲法 / 威玛宪法
• 威福 (wēifú)
• 威福由己
• 威福自己
• 威稜 / 威棱 (wēiléng)
• 威而不猛
• 威聲 / 威声
• 威脅 / 威胁 (wēixié)
• 威脅利誘 / 威胁利诱
• 威蕤
• 威迫 (wēipò)
• 威逼 (wēibī)
• 威逼利誘 / 威逼利诱 (wēibīlìyòu)
• 威重
• 威震 (wēizhèn)
• 威震八方
• 威震天下
• 威震寰宇
• 威靈 / 威灵
• 威靈頓 / 威灵顿 (Wēilíngdùn)
• 威風 / 威风 (wēifēng)
• 威風八面 / 威风八面
• 威風凜凜 / 威风凛凛 (wēifēnglǐnlǐn)
• 威鳳 / 威凤
• 威鳳一羽 / 威凤一羽
• 宣威 (Xuānwēi)
• 恩威並濟 / 恩威并济
• 恩威並用 / 恩威并用
• 恩威並著 / 恩威并着
• 恩威並行 / 恩威并行
• 恩威並重 / 恩威并重
• 懷德畏威 / 怀德畏威
• 打下馬威 / 打下马威
• 抑威餌敵 / 抑威饵敌
• 振威
• 挪威 (Nuówēi)
• 挪威王國 / 挪威王国
• 揚威 / 扬威 (yángwēi)
• 揚威耀武 / 扬威耀武
• 擅作威福
• 攝威擅勢 / 摄威擅势
• 施威
• 明威
• 杜威 (Dùwēi)
• 格林威治 (Gélínwēizhì)
• 權威 / 权威 (quánwēi)
• 權威管教 / 权威管教
• 武威 (Wǔwēi)
• 殺威棒 / 杀威棒
• 殺威風 / 杀威风
• 海明威 (Hǎimíngwēi)
• 淫威 (yínwēi)
• 漢官威儀 / 汉官威仪
• 狐假虎威 (hújiǎhǔwēi)
• 狐藉虎威 / 狐借虎威 (hújièhǔwēi)
• 狐虎之威
• 畏威懷德 / 畏威怀德
• 發威 / 发威 (fāwēi)
• 發威動怒 / 发威动怒
• 皇威 (huángwēi)
• 示威 (shìwēi)
• 示威遊行 / 示威游行
• 神威 (shénwēi)
• 祥麟威鳳 / 祥麟威凤
• 科威特 (Kēwēitè)
• 積威 / 积威
• 竊弄威權 / 窃弄威权
• 立威
• 耀武揚威 / 耀武扬威 (yàowǔ yángwēi)
• 耍威風 / 耍威风
• 聲威 / 声威 (shēngwēi)
• 聲威大震 / 声威大震 (shēngwēidàzhèn)
• 舉武揚威 / 举武扬威
• 草木知威
• 蓄銳養威 / 蓄锐养威
• 蘇拉威西 / 苏拉威西 (Sūlāwēixī)
• 虎威 (hǔwēi)
• 虎威狐假
• 蛜威
• 褚威格
• 赫斯之威
• 軍威 / 军威 (jūnwēi)
• 辛巴威 (Xīnbāwēi)
• 逞威風 / 逞威风
• 逞起威風 / 逞起威风
• 鈞威 / 钧威
• 開普威得 / 开普威得
• 閫威 / 阃威
• 雄威
• 雌威
• 霜威
• 霽威 / 霁威
• 養威蓄銳 / 养威蓄锐
• 養銳蓄威 / 养锐蓄威
• 餘威 / 余威 (yúwēi)
• 馬拉威 / 马拉威 (Mǎlāwēi)
• 鮑斯威爾 / 鲍斯威尔
• 龍威 / 龙威

 

Etymology 2

trad.		威
simp. #		威

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ui

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ui
    • Tâi-lô: ui
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uy
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ui³³/

Definitions

威

1. (Hokkien) Alternative form of 揻 (ui, “to prick; to poke; to bore”)

   • 阿片無食脚手軟　無錢半步不出門　威空扒壁提來當　有錢歸冥燒到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阿片无食脚手软　无钱半步不出门　威空扒壁提来当　有钱归冥烧到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 1933, 勸改阿片新歌

     a-phiàn bô chia̍h kha-chhiú nńg, bô chîⁿ pòaⁿ pō͘ m̄ chhut-mn̂g, ui khang peh piah the̍h lâi tǹg, ū chîⁿ kui-mî sio kàu kng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     If he does not smoke opium, his limbs are weak; without money, he does not go out for half a step. Boring holes and climbing walls, he takes [things] to pawn; with money, he smokes all night until dawn.

   • 親像針一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     亲像针一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2015, 薇芯 (lyrics), 江紓雯 (music), 天頂星, performed by 秀蘭瑪雅

     chhin-chhiūⁿ chiam it-ti̍t ui it-ti̍t ui ji̍p gún ê sim [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     It is like a needle constantly poking, constantly poking into my heart

   • 怎樣放捨我　做你來離開　無緣作堆　心像針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     怎样放舍我　做你来离开　无缘作堆　心像针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2016, 高以德 (lyrics), 吳靜慧 (music), 月娘啊月娘, performed by 鳳娘

     chóaⁿ-iūⁿ pàng-sak góa, chòe lí lâi lī-khui, bô-iân chòe-tui, sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     How did you abandon me? I let you leave, We were not destined to be together, my heart is aching like a needle is pricking it

   • 海風青冷　吹著心若針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     海风青冷　吹着心若针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2020, 陳百潭 (lyrics and music), 霧中情, performed by 陳百潭 and 方千玉

     hái-hong chhiⁿ-léng, chhoe-tio̍h sim ná chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     The chilly breeze from the sea is blowing at my heart, as if a needle is pricking it

   • 阮的心像針威塊滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阮的心像针威块滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2022, 郭之儀 (lyrics), 鄭喬安 (music), 落花, performed by 林良歡

     gún ê sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui teh tih hoeh [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     My heart is like a needle is pricking it until it drips with blood

Japanese

Kanji

威

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: おどす (odosu, 威す)、おどし (odoshi, 威し)、おどかす (odokasu, 威かす)
• Nanori: いさ (isa)、たけ (take)、たけし (takeshi)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
威
い Grade: S
on'yomi

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 威 (MC 'jw+j).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) い [íꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [i]

Noun

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority

Affix

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority; dignity; majesty

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 威(い)力(りょく) (iryoku): power, might
• 威(い)勢(せい) (isei): spirits, power
• 威(い)張(ば)る (ibaru): put on airs, boast
• 権(けん)威(い) (ken'i): authority, power
• 示(じ)威(い) (jī): show of force
• 猛(もう)威(い) (mōi): fierceness, fury
• 球(きゅう)威(い)の有(あ)る投(とう)球(きゅう) (kyūi no aru tōkyū): powerful delivery
• 威(い)厳(げん) (igen): solemn dignity
• 威(い)風(ふう) (ifū): majesty, dignity
• 威(い)容(よう) (iyō): dignified appearance
• 威(い)儀(ぎ) (igi): dignity, dignified manner
• 威(い)信(しん) (ishin): prestige, dignity
• 威(い)圧(あつ) (iatsu): coercion, high-handedness
• 威(い)嚇(かく) (ikaku): intimidate, threaten
• 脅(きょう)威(い) (kyōi): threat, menace

Korean

Hanja

威 (eumhun 위엄 위 (wieom wi))

1. dignity

Compounds

• 위화도회군 (威化島回軍, wihwadohoegun)

Vietnamese

Han character

威: Hán Nôm readings: uy, oai

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