岐 (qí) — a Chinese surname

Definition

Examples

  • 岐。
    qí Xiān sheng shì wǒ men de lǎo shī.
    Mr. Qi is our teacher.
  • 岐。
    Tā xìng qí.
    Her surname is Qi.
  • 岐。
    qí Xiǎo jiě jīn tiān méi lái shàng bān.
    Miss Qi didn't come to work today.

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
支
支zhī岐Qí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

岐 is built from 山, meaning mountain, beside 支, which gives its sound.

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