Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 迎 (yíng) means 'to welcome,' 'to receive,' or 'to meet.' It is composed of two parts: the radical 辵 (chuò), which denotes movement or walking, and 卬 (áng), which provides the phonetic sound and also carries the meaning of 'looking up' or 'facing.' In ancient forms found in the Liushutong, the character often emphasized the motion of going forth to meet someone. Over time, the structure standardized into its modern form 迎, retaining the core idea of moving toward and greeting another. Arrived in Japan: The character 迎 likely arrived in Japan during the early waves of cultural exchange with China, around the 5th to 6th centuries CE, when the Japanese writing system began incorporating Chinese characters (kanji) along with Buddhism, Confucian texts, and other elements of Chinese culture.