Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 頼 evolved from ancient pictographs representing a person seeking help or support. In its Liushutong form, the character structure combines elements meaning 'to depend on' and 'to trust,' reflecting its core meanings of 'reliance,' 'trust,' and 'request.' Over centuries, the character's form was standardized in clerical and regular scripts, eventually becoming the modern kanji 頼, which retains the essential meaning of relying on someone or something. Arrived in Japan: The character likely arrived in Japan during the 5th to 6th centuries CE, when Chinese writing was systematically introduced to Japan through Korean scholars and Buddhist texts, and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji character.