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刻 (kè) — (classifier) quarter (of an hour); a short moment; (verb) to carve, to engrave

Definition

At HSK 3, 刻 is mainly used as a time classifier: 一刻 = fifteen minutes / a quarter-hour. As a verb ('to carve, engrave'), 雕刻 (HSK 7) names the art form; this row is the everyday action verb.

classifier
quarter (of an hour)a short moment
verb
to carveto engrave
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Xiàn zài shì yì diǎn yí kè.
    It is a quarter past one.
  • 。
    Zhè yí kè hěn zhòng yào.
    This moment is very important.
  • 刻。
    Tā zài mù tou shàng kè le yí gè zì.
    He carved a character on the wood.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài刻kè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刻 is made of 刂, a form of 刀 (knife), and 亥, which gives the sound.

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 3Time of DayMeasure Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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