甚

shén
variant of 什[shen2]

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

甚 shows a mouth 甘 and a spoon 匹 bringing food, so it first meant happy and safe. From there it grew to especially or very. Read shén, it was borrowed for the sound of 什 and means what.

Drawn as: mouth; spoon bringing food

甚 as a component in other characters

sound8 characters
堪勘斟湛谌戡葚椹

Ask DeepSeek

Same Characters, Different Readings

甚shèn
excessive, undue, to exceed

Homophones

神shén
god, deity, divinity, spirit
什shén
what

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.