甲骨文Oracle Bone Inscription:
金文Bronze Character:
小篆Seal Character:
字形分析Character Analysis:
象形字。甲骨文和金文字形，象海贝形。汉字部首之一。古时以贝壳为货币，又用作装饰，故从“贝”的字多与钱财宝物、装饰品或贸易商品有关。
贝 is an obvious Pictogram from its formation of Oracle Bone Inscription and Bronze character, looking like a shellfish, an aquatic animal that has a shell or shell-like exoskeleton. As a result of its rarity in ancient China, the shell of shellfish used to be taken as a medium of exchange as well as an ornament of luxury exclusively for ruling class or the nobility. 贝 has become one of the frequently used radicals in modern Chinese, and characters containing a component of 贝 are usually associated with wealth, riches, something precious and valuable, or the practice of trading goods.
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本义Original meaning: 海贝，贝壳 shellfish, shell
