脐 (qí) — (bound form) navel; belly button

Definition

Bound form used only in compounds like 肚脐 (navel) and 脐带 (umbilical cord). It never stands alone as a word.

bound form

navelbelly button

。
Tā de dù qí shàng yǒu yí gè xiǎo dòng.
There is a small hole on her belly button.
。
Yī shēng xiǎo xīn dì jiǎn duàn le yīng ér de qí dài.
The doctor carefully cut the baby's umbilical cord.
。
Dù qí shì yīng ér chū shēng hòu liú xià de hén jì.
The belly button is the mark left after a baby is born.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臍; 脐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

齊

齊qí臍qí

Same sound today

The traditional form 臍 pairs 肉 (meat/flesh) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 脐 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in