Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 犬 (quǎn) depicts a dog, one of the earliest domesticated animals in China. In oracle bone script, it clearly showed a side view of a dog with a curved body, tail, and legs. Over time, the character simplified while retaining the distinctive curved shape that suggests a dog's posture. In Liushutong, L16164 shows an ancient variant that maintains the recognizable canine form. The character has always meant 'dog' and appears in many Chinese idioms and compounds. Arrived in Japan: The character 犬 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (approximately 300 BCE - 300 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely via the Korean peninsula. It was systematically introduced along with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries CE when Japan began adopting Chinese writing and cultural practices.