Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 考 (kǎo) evolved from ancient pictographs showing an elderly person with long hair, leaning on a staff. In Liushutong, it appears in various forms emphasizing this elderly figure. The character originally meant 'old' or 'aged,' but evolved to mean 'to examine' or 'to test,' reflecting the wisdom and experience associated with age. It's also used in 考妣 to refer to deceased parents. The character is composed of 耂 (old) and 丂 (breath), suggesting an elderly person breathing with effort. Arrived in Japan: The character 考 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE-300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely via Korean peninsula. It was systematically introduced with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries when Japanese scholars began studying Chinese texts, and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji character with readings 'kō' (on'yomi) and 'kangaeru' (kun'yomi meaning 'to think').