Chinese character 宷

宷 is a variant of 審, meaning “examine carefully.”

In Mandarin Chinese, 審 can mean examine, investigate, clarify, or judge; 宷 is a written variant. The standard simplified-Chinese counterpart of 審 is 审.

As of 2026, the earliest known record of this exact form is in 說文解字, an early Chinese dictionary. It glosses 宷 as “knowing fully” and presents 審 as its seal-script form. Histories place the wider 審 lineage in bronze inscriptions, but no secure oracle-bone form is established.

One traditional analysis reads 宀 as a roof and 釆 as distinguishing, suggesting close scrutiny. Paleographic notes—studies of old written forms—question that explanation against earlier shapes. Later meanings include inquiry, checking, careful detail, and judgment; Japanese references also preserve “make clear.”

What does it mean when someone sends 宷?

Read it as a written variant, not a mood signal.

In a quotation, transcription, or intentionally preserved spelling, this form can reflect orthography or a text’s history. You cannot reliably infer sarcasm, affection, urgency, or online tone from 宷 alone. If the sender expects a modern Chinese reading, ask for the surrounding sentence.

Why can 宷 be hard to type or display?

Some input methods omit it, and some fonts lack it.

CNS11643 lists the Cangjie sequence JHFD (十竹火木), but an installed input method may omit this variant. If a Mandarin or Japanese input method returns 審 or 审, a Unicode character map can insert the exact glyph.

As of 2026, some smartphones may still lack a font that renders 宷, producing a missing-glyph box. That changes the display, not the text character.