Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 比 originally depicted two people standing side by side, representing the meaning 'to compare' or 'to compete.' In its earliest oracle bone script forms from the Shang Dynasty, it showed two identical figures positioned together. Over time, the character evolved through bronze script, seal script, and clerical script, gradually simplifying into the modern form. The core meaning has remained consistent - representing comparison, analogy, and the relationship between similar things. It's also used in words like 比赛 (competition) and 比例 (proportion), maintaining its fundamental concept of placing things side by side for evaluation. Arrived in Japan: The character 比 was introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) through cultural exchange with China, but became systematically established as part of the writing system during the Asuka period (538-710 CE) when Japan officially adopted Chinese characters along with Buddhism and other aspects of Chinese culture.