伸

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

人 (사람 인) — semantic component, indicating a person or human action.

申 (납 신) — phonetic component, providing the sound shēn / sin and also carrying the idea of to extend or express.

According to Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「伸，申也。从人，申聲。」

“伸 means to extend, same as 申. Formed from 人 (‘person’) and phonetic 申 (‘to stretch, to state’).”

The component 申 itself depicts a lightning-like line or thread being drawn out straight — symbolizing extension or declaration.

By combining it with 人, the character 伸 depicts a person extending the body or arms outward, thus embodying the sense of stretching, unfolding, or expressing oneself.

In bronze and seal scripts, the figure of a human body leaning forward with outstretched limbs is often visible, reinforcing the dynamic concept of extension and motion.

伸展 (신전) — to stretch; to extend (physically or figuratively)

伸張 (신장) — to extend; to expand (influence, power, justice)

伸縮 (신축) — to expand and contract; flexibility

伸手 (신수) — to reach out one’s hand

伸冤 (신원) — to redress an injustice; to clear one’s name

伸訴 (신소) — to appeal; to petition

伸敬 (신경) — to show respect

舒伸 (서신) — to relax; to stretch gently

The fundamental image behind 伸 is extension from within — both physical and metaphorical.

It expresses not only the stretching of the body but also the extension of will, emotion, or truth outward into the world.

In classical Confucian and legal contexts, 伸 was often used in connection with justice and moral rectification:

「伸冤者，理之達也。」

“To redress wrongs (伸冤) is to make reason reach its proper end.”

Here, 伸 implies the unfolding of truth and the extension of righteousness to where it had been constrained.

In Daoist and health-related writings, 伸 appears in descriptions of body movement and breath:

「氣以伸，體以舒。」 (Huainanzi, 淮南子)

“The breath extends, and the body relaxes.”

It symbolizes the harmonious expansion of energy (氣), both physical and spiritual.

In poetry and literature, 伸 often conveys a sense of release — the freeing of emotion or the unfolding of feeling long suppressed:

「舒心伸懷。」 — “To ease the heart and unfold the feelings.”

Cultural and philosophical meaning:

In Chinese philosophy, 伸 aligns with the principle of 通 (flow, communication) — the natural movement from inner to outer.

It embodies the proper expression of one’s nature (性之伸) — to live truthfully and allow the inner moral or emotional state to unfold freely.

For Confucians, it symbolizes the extension of benevolence (仁之伸) — the outward reach of moral feeling to others.

For Daoists, it represents natural relaxation (自伸) — letting things return to their full, open form.

In its simplicity, 伸 embodies both movement and sincerity — to stretch forth the hand, to express the heart, and to allow what is true to expand without restraint.