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可贵 (kě guì) — valuable, commendable, to be treasured

Definition

可贵 praises intangible qualities (courage, honesty, spirit) worth cherishing. 珍贵 and 宝贵 are for concrete, rare objects or time, not abstract virtues.

adjective
valuablecommendableto be treasured

Examples

  • 可贵。
    Zhè zhǒng wú sī fèng xiàn de jīng shén fēi cháng kě guì.
    This spirit of selfless dedication is very commendable.
  • ，可贵。
    Néng zài shī bài hòu chóng xīn zhàn qǐ lái, zhè zhǒng yǒng qì hěn kě guì.
    Being able to stand up again after failure — that kind of courage is admirable.
  • 可贵。
    Chéng shí shì yì zhǒng kě guì de pǐn zhì.
    Honesty is a valuable quality.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

可kěworthy of
贵guìvaluable

可 suggests deserving value, and 贵 means valuable, so the whole means praiseworthy.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

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