凯 (kǎi) — (bound form) victorious, triumphant (in battle)
Definition
A bound morpheme meaning 'triumphant, victorious', seen in words like 凯歌 (song of victory) and 凯旋 (return in triumph). Not used on its own.
bound form
victorioustriumphant (in battle)
Examples
- ，。Jūn duì kǎi xuán guī lái, shòu dào le rè liè huān yíng.The army returned in triumph and received a warm welcome.
- 。Zhàn shì men gāo chàng kǎi gē qìng zhù shèng lì.The soldiers sang songs of victory to celebrate.
- 。Bā lí de kǎi xuán mén shì zhù míng de lǚ yóu jǐng diǎn.The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is a famous tourist attraction.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 凱; 凯 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
豈豈qǐdrum
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ凱kǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 凱 may have been built from 豈, a drum, and 几 to give the sound; the simplified 凯 is a later abbreviation.
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