Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 甚 originally depicted a man drinking excessively from a large wine vessel, representing 'extreme' or 'excessive.' In its earliest oracle bone script forms, it showed a person with an enlarged mouth near a container. Over time, it evolved through bronze script and seal script into its modern form. The character carries meanings of 'very,' 'extremely,' 'exceedingly,' and even 'what?' in classical Chinese when used in questions. Its core concept of 'going beyond normal limits' has remained consistent throughout its evolution. Arrived in Japan: The character 甚 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange with China and Korea. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system and appears in early Japanese works like the Man'yōshū (8th century), where it was used both for its meaning and sometimes as a phonetic character.