叩 (kòu) — (bound form) to knock; (bound form) to kowtow; (bound form) to ask
Definition
叩 is a formal/literary bound form that combines with a noun to mean 'knock (on)', 'kowtow', or 'inquire'. In modern Chinese it almost always appears in set phrases like 叩门, 叩头, 叩问 — not as a standalone verb.
bound form
to knockto kowtowto ask
Examples
- 叩。Tā qīng qīng kòu mén.He gently knocked on the door.
- 叩。Gǔ dài chén zǐ yào xiàng huáng dì kòu tóu.In ancient times, officials had to kowtow to the emperor.
- 叩。Tā xiàng lǎo shī kòu wèn dá àn.He asked the teacher for the answer.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
卩卩jié
叩 pairs 口, which gives the sound, with 卩, a picture of a kneeling human.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.