载 (zǎi): to record (in writing)

Meanings

1 to record (in writing)
2 to publish; to put on record
3 year

Characters

Halberd-frame 戈 (carving tool) wrapping 车 (cart) — engraving the year onto a wooden cart-tally, picture for entering an event into the record.

Examples

这件事史书上有记载。

Zhè jiàn shì shǐshū shàng yǒu jìzǎi.

This event is recorded in the history books.

他的漫画已经连载了三年。

Tā de mànhuà yǐjīng liánzǎi le sān nián.

His comic has been serialized for three years.

这样的机会千载难逢。

Zhèyàng de jīhuì qiānzǎinánféng.

Such an opportunity comes only once in a thousand years.

Tips

usage

Use zǎi for written record / publication (记载 to record, 连载 to serialize, 转载 to reprint/repost) and for the literary 'year' sense (千载难逢 once in a thousand years, 一年半载 a year or so). For physical carrying or loading, switch to the zài reading.

mistakes

Software downloads — 下载 — are standardized as zǎi in Mainland usage ('to put on record / save a copy'), even though many native speakers also say xiàzài. Both are widely heard; xiàzǎi is the dictionary standard, xiàzài is the Taiwan reading and very common in casual Mainland speech.

Components

radical

车 chē

vehicle; cart

Inner cart radical (Kangxi #159, simplified from 車). Anchors the meaning: the zài reading is to load onto or carry by vehicle (装载 to load, 载客 to carry passengers); the zǎi reading extended from carting goods to entering an event into the records. Same radical groups 辆, 转, 轮.

phonetic

哉 zāi

(literary exclamation; phonetic frame)

Outer wrapping 哉 in a contracted 6-stroke form — the standalone 哉 has 9 strokes (with an extra 口 mouth in the lower-left), but in 载 the 口 is dropped and the halberd-like frame embraces 车 directly. Provides the sound zāi/zǎi/zài. Same phonetic family as 栽 (to plant) and 裁 (to cut, to decide).