Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 更 (gēng/gèng) originally depicted a hand holding a whip or stick, suggesting the meaning 'to change' or 'to alter.' In ancient bronze inscriptions, it showed a whip striking something, conveying 'to correct' or 'to replace.' Over time, it evolved to mean 'to change watches' (as in night watches) and later extended to 'more' or 'further' in the sense of change in degree. The modern form 更 combines 丙 (third heavenly stem) with 攵 (strike), though the original pictorial element is largely lost. Arrived in Japan: The character 更 was likely introduced to Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader adoption of Chinese writing systems, possibly through Buddhist texts and official documents exchanged with Chinese and Korean scholars.