系
to connect; to relate to; to tie up; to bind; to be (literary); system; department; faculty; to tie; to fasten; to button up; to arrest; to worry
Closest English meanings
system·tie·relate
The Calligrapher — Cài Yōng 蔡邕
Han scholar who perfected clerical script and invented flying-white.
Han calligrapher (133–192), master of clerical script/飞白书 — known for 《熹平石经》/ 飞白书. Han dynasty
Cultural Story
系 is to tie — a cord fastening things into one line: lineage, succession, connection. Genealogies chained generations 世系 by 世系; classical prose spoke of hearts 维系, held fast, and of fates hanging 系于一线 on a single thread. Whatever the cord reached belonged to your line — binding was belonging.
Common words & phrases
- 关系 relation · relationship · relation
- 联系 contact · connect · liaise
- 系统 system
- 体系 system · structure · setup
- 系列 series · set
Read the story behind the character
关系 is the keyword of Chinese social life; 联系 me on WeChat; 系统 crash and update at the worst hour; universities sort students into 系, departments; product 系列 line up as collectibles. Whether you are tying shoelaces or servers, 系 keeps binding — relationships, networks and lives included.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Cài Yōng 蔡邕, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.