牀

A phono-semantic compound:

爿 (장) — semantic component, indicating wooden planks / split timber

木 (목) — phonetic component, supplying the sound (상 / chuáng)

The character originally referred to a raised wooden platform made of boards—what we would call a 평상. From this concrete furniture sense developed the broader meaning bed.

In modern usage, the character appears almost entirely as 床.

Common compounds:

평상 (平牀 / 平床) — wooden platform

침상 (寢牀) — bed

병상 (病牀) — sickbed

하상 (河床) — riverbed

지층 / 암상 (岩床) — bedrock; geological layer

Abstract extension:

기반이 되는 바닥 — figurative “foundation” or “base”

Unlike 臺 (raised platform with prominence), 牀 / 床 emphasizes flatness and support.

Related characters (beds & platforms):

臺 — platform; terrace

榻 — couch; low bed

几 — small table; stand

席 — mat; bedding

基 — foundation

Among these, 牀 / 床 uniquely denotes a flat supporting surface for rest, both literal and figurative.

Orthographic note (牀 vs 床):

牀 is the original form.

床 is a later popular form that became dominant in practice.

In Korea, both Korean Language Association (어문회) and Basic Hanja for education adopt 床 as the standard form.

As a result, 牀 is now rare outside of historical or philological contexts, and 床 is used almost exclusively in modern writing.