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关节 (guān jié) — (anatomy) joint; key point, crucial link; critical phase, juncture

Definition

Concrete 'joint' in the body (knee, elbow, etc.). The figurative senses — 'key point' and 'critical phase' — overlap with 关键, 重点, 要点, and 关头; 关节 is least common in this abstract use.

noun
(anatomy) jointkey pointcrucial linkcritical phasejuncture

Examples

  • 关节。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de xī gài guān jié.
    The doctor examined his knee joint.
  • 关节。
    Zhè ge xì jié shì tán pàn de guān jié.
    This detail is the key point of the negotiation.
  • 关节。
    Gōng sī zhèng chǔ yú zhuǎn xíng de guān jié.
    The company is at a critical phase of transformation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

关guānjoint
节jiéjoint

关 and 节 both point to a joining place, so the word means a joint or key link.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Body Parts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.