Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 徐 evolved from ancient pictographs showing a person walking slowly. In oracle bone script, it depicted a person with measured footsteps, conveying the meaning of 'slowly,' 'gently,' or 'leisurely.' The modern form combines the radical 彳 (step) with 余 (abundance), suggesting unhurried movement with ease. Throughout Chinese history, 徐 has been used both as a verb meaning 'to walk slowly' and as a common surname, with the Xu family being one of the ancient Chinese clans. Arrived in Japan: The character 徐 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, primarily through the introduction of Chinese writing systems via Korean peninsula. It was adopted into Japanese as part of the kanji importation during the Asuka period, used both in its meaning of 'slowly' and as a component in compound words. The character appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyoshu (8th century) and was fully integrated into the Japanese writing system by the Heian period.