窟 (kū) — cave; hole
Definition
窟 (kū) is a bound morpheme that almost always combines with 洞 (dòng) into the set phrase 洞窟 to mean 'cave'. It never stands alone as a word.
bound form
cavehole
Examples
- 。Zhè ge dòng kū hěn shēn.This cave is very deep.
- 。Tā men fā xiàn le yí gè gǔ dòng kū.They discovered an ancient cave.
- 。Shān shàng yǒu xǔ duō dòng kū.There are many caves on the mountain.
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.
窟 is built from 穴 (hole; cave) plus 屈, which supplies the sound. The shape therefore marks a cave-like hole pronounced like 屈.
Appears in
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