或

See also: 咸, 戓, and 哉

或 U+6216, 或 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6216 ← 戕 [U+6215] CJK Unified Ideographs 戗 → [U+6217]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

或 (radical 62, 戈+4, 8 strokes, cangjie input 戈口一 (IRM), four-corner 5310₀, composition ⿹戈⿱口㇀)

Derived characters

• 㖪, 域, 惐, 掝, 淢, 䧕, 棫, 琙, 㽣, 䂸, 稢, 緎, 聝, 戫, 蜮, 䬎(𬱿), 馘, 䤋, 䮙, 魊, 䱛(𮬟), 𠜻, 㰲, 㚜, 罭, 窢, 䈅, 䍞, 閾(阈), 惑, 㳼, 𢨋, 䰥, 彧, 國(国)

References

• KangXi: page 412, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11563
• Dae Jaweon: page 754, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1402, character 8
• Unihan data for U+6216

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		或
variant forms		𢈿

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 或
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (或) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
幗	*kʷɯːɡs, *kʷrɯːɡ
慖	*kʷɯːɡs, *kʷrɯːɡ
簂	*kʷɯːɡs
蔮	*kʷɯːɡs
國	*kʷɯːɡ
或	*ɡʷɯːɡ
惑	*ɡʷɯːɡ
蜮	*ɡʷɯːɡ, *ɢʷrɯɡ
閾	*qʰʷrɯɡ
緎	*qʰʷrɯɡ, *ɡʷrɯɡ
淢	*qʰʷrɯɡ, *ɡʷrɯɡ
域	*ɢʷrɯɡ
罭	*ɢʷrɯɡ
棫	*ɡʷrɯɡ
琙	*ɡʷrɯɡ
魊	*ɡʷrɯɡ
馘	*kʷrɯːɡ
聝	*kʷrɯːɡ
膕	*kʷrɯːɡ
摑	*kʷrɯːɡ
漍	*kʷrɯːɡ
嘓	*kʷrɯːɡ
蟈	*kʷrɯːɡ
掝	*qʰʷrɯːɡ
彧	*qʷrɯɡ
稶	*qʷɯɡ

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 戈 + 口 + 一, “territory”.

Borrowed for abstract meanings. The derivative 國 (OC *kʷɯːɡ) and 域 (OC *ɢʷrɯɡ) refer to the original word.

Etymology

或 (OC *ɡʷɯːɡ, “someone; some”) is the result of the distributive suffix *-k being added to 有 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “there is”).

Cognate with 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “again”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): huò (huo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄛˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): waak⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): fe̍t
• Min Dong (BUC): hĕ̤k
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): hia̍k / he̍k

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hog⁸

• Wu (Wiktionary): hhoq (T5); hhueq (T5)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: huò
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄛˋ
    • Wade–Giles: ho⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huoh
    • Tongyong Pinyin: huò
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xwɔ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: waak⁶
    • Yale: waahk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: waak⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wag⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wäːk̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fe̍t
    • Hakka Romanization System: fed
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fed⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /fet̚⁵/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: hĕ̤k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /høyʔ⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hia̍k
    • Tâi-lô: hia̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hiak
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hiak̚²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: he̍k
    • Tâi-lô: hi̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hek
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Xiamen): /hiɪk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɪk̚¹²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hog⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ho̍k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hok̚⁴/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: hhoq (T5); hhueq (T5)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɦʊʔ¹²/, /ɦɯə̯ʔ¹²/

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• Dialectal data▼

Variety	Location	edit 或
Mandarin	Beijing	/xuo⁵¹/
	Harbin	/xuei²¹³/ /xuo⁵³/
	Tianjin	/xɤ⁵³/
	Jinan	/xuei⁴²/
	Qingdao	/xuə⁴²/ /xue⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/xuai⁴²/
	Xi'an	/xuei²⁴/
	Xining	/xuɨ²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/xuə¹³/
	Lanzhou	/xuə¹³/
	Ürümqi	/xuɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/xuɤ²¹³/
	Chengdu	/xue³¹/
	Guiyang	/xuɛ²¹/
	Kunming	/xo³¹/
	Nanjing	/xueʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/xuɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/xuəʔ²/
	Pingyao	/xuʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/xuaʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɦoʔ¹/
	Suzhou	/ɦuəʔ³/
	Hangzhou	/ɦoʔ²/
	Wenzhou	/va²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/xuɛʔ²¹/
	Tunxi	/xo⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/xo²⁴/
	Xiangtan	/ho²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/fɛʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/fet̚⁵/
	Taoyuan	/fet̚⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/wak̚²/
	Nanning	/wak̚²²/
	Hong Kong	/wak̚²/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/hik̚⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/høyʔ⁵/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/xo²⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/hok̚⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/hok̚³/

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• Middle Chinese: /ɦwək̚/▼

Rime
Character	或
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	德 (132)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	胡國切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦwək̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦʷək̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣuək̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦwək̚/
Li Rong	/ɣuək̚/
Wang Li	/ɣuək̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣwək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	huó

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ʷˤək/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡʷɯːɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	或
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	huò
Middle Chinese	‹ hwok ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ʷˁək/
English	some; or
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	或
Reading #	1/1
No.	5548
Phonetic component	或
Rime group	職
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	或
Old Chinese	/*ɡʷɯːɡ/

Definitions

或

1. or; either ... or ... (used to list alternatives)

   中國或日本 / 中国或日本  ―  Zhōngguó huò Rìběn  ―  China or Japan

   或多或少  ―  huòduōhuòshào  ―  more or less, some amount

   • 可以說兩種或兩種以上的語言 [MSC, trad.]
     可以说两种或两种以上的语言 [MSC, simp.]

     kěyǐ shuō liǎng zhǒng huò liǎng zhǒng yǐshàng de yǔyán [Pinyin]

     able to speak two or more languages

2. perhaps; maybe (mostly found in news headlines)

   • 代表團已出發，明天上午或可到達。 [MSC, trad.]
     代表团已出发，明天上午或可到达。 [MSC, simp.]

     Dàibiǎotuán yǐ chūfā, míngtiān shàngwǔ huò kě dàodá. [Pinyin]

     The delegation has set out, and will probably arrive tomorrow morning.

3. occasionally; sometimes
4. if; assuming; should ...
5. particle used in negative sentences to reinforce the negative tone
6. ^† some; someone; something

   • 齊人伐燕，勝之。宣王問曰：「或謂寡人勿取，或謂寡人取之」。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     齐人伐燕，胜之。宣王问曰：“或谓寡人勿取，或谓寡人取之”。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Qí rén fá yàn, shèng zhī. Xuān wáng wèn yuē: “Huò wèi guǎrén wù qǔ, huò wèi guǎrén qǔ zhī”. [Pinyin]

     Qi attacked Yan, conquering it. King Xuan said: "Some people tell me not to take it [Yan] for myself; some tell me to take it".

Compounds

Derived terms from 或

• 不可或缺 (bùkěhuòquē)
• 倘或 (tǎnghuò)
• 偶或
• 即或
• 多言或中
• 容或
• 或人
• 或則／或则 (huòzé)

• 或是 (huòshì)
• 或時／或时
• 或曰 (huòyuē)
• 或有
• 或然率 (huòránlǜ)
• 或缺
• 或者 (huòzhě)

• 或許／或许 (huòxǔ)
• 或謂／或谓 (huòwèi)
• 或體／或体
• 抑或 (yìhuò)
• 甚或 (shènhuò)
• 設或／设或
• 間或／间或 (jiànhuò)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yù (yu⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wik⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: yù
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˋ
    • Wade–Giles: yü⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yiw
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: wik⁶
    • Yale: wihk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wik⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wig⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɪk̚²/

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• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ʷrək/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	或
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yù
Middle Chinese	‹ hwik ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ʷrək/
English	territory
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Definitions

或

1. ^† Original form of 域 (yù, “range; territory”).
2. ^† Original form of 國／国 (guó, “country”).

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Japanese

Kanji

或

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

1. a certain ...; some ...​

Readings

• Go-on: わく (waku)
• Kan-on: こく (koku)
• Kun: ある (aru, 或る); あるいは (arui wa, 或るいは)

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Korean

Hanja

或 • (hok) (hangeul 혹, revised hok, McCune–Reischauer hok, Yale hok)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

或 (hoặc, hoắc)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.