Han character 依

依 has senses of relying on or following, and the word decides which. Chinese 依靠 means “rely on”; 依照 means “according to.” Alone, it cannot carry a settled personal message.

Text symbol

What 依 means

It points to reliance or following a rule. 依賴 means dependence; 依據 gives a basis; 依然 means “still,” a sense carried by that compound.

As of 2026-09-07, records list 依 in oracle-bone writing (inscriptions on bones), then in manuscripts from Chu (an ancient Chinese state), Qin-era bamboo slips, clerical script, and regular script.

How do I read 依 alone?

Use the surrounding word or sentence to read it. Alone, 依 cannot tell you whether the intended sense is reliance, following, or “still”; “I depend on you” adds a personal message the character does not establish.

Japanese uses 依 in 依存 and 依頼. Korean uses its reading 의 in 依存하다 (의존하다), “depend on”; Chinese readings do not automatically transfer.

Who writes 依

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Questions people ask

Why does 依 show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.