jiàn

recommend

Original meaning: 

pasture, straw mat

Depicts an animal () eating grass () in a pasture. Based on the original meaning "pasture, straw mat". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components
艹 iconic component

  Iconic component

caocǎo

  

grass

is a component form of .

廌 iconic component

  Iconic component

zhì

  

Xiezhi (unicorn)

Evolution

薦 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
薦 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
薦 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
薦 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

jiàn

offer, present; recommend; to recommend; to offer sacrifice (arch.); grass; straw mat

Most common words with 薦
Freq.
Word
Meaning

推荐

to recommend

推荐信

recommendation letter

引荐

to recommend sb

自荐

to recommend oneself (for a job)

grass