Han character 弡

It means “strong and brave,” or it is a form of 張.

In Mandarin, Pinyin—the standard Latin-letter spelling—writes the readings as jué (roughly “jweh,” rising) and zhāng (roughly “jahng,” high and level). Japanese dictionaries list other readings too: くつ, ぐち, ちょう, and つよくいさましい, the last meaning “strong and brave.”

Why does 弡 appear in a Zhou bronze-vessel name?

Later transcriptions use 弡 in a disputed Zhou vessel name.

The Ministry of Education’s 2024 variant-character dictionary says the early Chinese dictionary 《說文》 does not list 弡. 《玉篇》, a Chinese character dictionary compiled in 543, gives the gloss “strong and brave.”

A catalog entry for Wang Xun’s Qing dynasty calligraphy retells a Zhou bronze-vessel dedication: the inscription describes a grain vessel for ceremonial meals and wishes its maker long life. Its note says the old text has no 弡 and cites scholar Liu Yuanfu’s reading 張; Wang’s later title, 周弡仲作簠銘, writes the name with 弡. That transcription records an interpretation, not proof that 弡 appeared on the bronze.

What does 弡 mean when someone sends it?

Ask which reading or source the sender intends.

For Mandarin, the dictionary gives two routes: “strong and brave,” or a written form of 張. In a historical inscription or character reference, read 弡 in that source’s context; a lone message does not tell you which route the sender means.