还
surname Huan; still; still in progress; still more; yet; even more; in addition; fairly; passably (good); as early as; even; also; else; to pay back; to return
Closest English meanings
still·return·also·give back
The Calligrapher — Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿
Tang master of robust regular script; co-creator of the enduring 'Yan style'.
Tang calligrapher (709–784), master of regular script/running script — the Tang moral paragon whose upright, muscular regular script became the model of Chinese integrity in writing. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
The character wears two hats: huán means to give back, hái means still. Wang Changling's vow — 'until Loulan is broken, we shall not return' — and He Zhizhang's old man coming home made huánxiang, returning to one's village, a classic image of Chinese poetry.
Common words & phrases
- 还是 still · nevertheless · or
- 还有 also · still have · moreover
- 归还 return · give back · restore
- 还原 restore · reduce · revert
- 还乡 return home · go back native
- 还书 return a book · give back book
Read the story behind the character
In daily speech hái is everywhere: 'háishi (still) raining?' you sigh, 'hái you (moreover) traffic.' The other face endures too — guiuan (return what you borrowed), huanyuan (restore old data), huanshu (return a book) to the library before fines stack up, and someday, huánxiang (return home) to the ancestral town.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.