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砌 (qì) — to build with bricks or stones; to lay bricks; to construct by piling up stones or bricks

Definition

Bound verb meaning 'to lay bricks or stones, to build (a wall) by piling up masonry'. Almost always used in construction contexts and rarely appears alone in everyday speech.

bound form
to build with bricks or stonesto lay bricksto construct by piling up stones or bricks

Examples

  • 砌。
    Gōng rén men zhèng zài qì yì dǔ qiáng.
    The workers are building a wall.
  • 砌。
    Tā yòng zhuān tóu qì le yí gè xiǎo huā tán.
    He built a small flower bed with bricks.
  • 砌。
    Zhè miàn qiáng qì dé hěn jiē shi.
    This wall is built very solidly.

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
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
切
切qiè砌qì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

砌 is formed from 石 (stone) and 切; 切 gives the sound.

Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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