每
měi · HSK 3
every
📅 每 = 母 (mother) on top with a hairpin stroke; means 'every, each'
Etymology: depicts a woman (母) with an ornamental hairpin, originally meaning 'lush' or 'abundant'; later borrowed for 'every'. Common in 每天 (every day), 每个 (each one), 每次 (every time).
每 — top 𠂉 (hair pin) + 母 mother
每 originally depicted a woman (母, mother) with an ornamental hairpin on top, suggesting a mature or adorned woman. Over time the meaning shifted by extension from 'lush, abundant' to the modern sense of 'every' or 'each'. The 母 component also hints at the pronunciation.