葵 (kuí) — sunflower (bound form, used only in compounds)
Definition
葵 (kuí) is a bound form meaning 'sunflower' that only appears in compounds like 葵花 ('sunflower') and 葵花籽 ('sunflower seeds') — never used alone.
bound form
sunflower (bound form, used only in compounds)
Examples
- ，葵。Qiū tiān dào le, kuí huā kāi le.Autumn has arrived, and the sunflowers are blooming.
- ，。Wǒ xǐ huan chī kuí huā zǐ, hěn xiāng.I like eating sunflower seeds; they are very fragrant.
- 葵。Zhè piàn tián lǐ zhǒng le hěn duō kuí huā.This field is planted with many sunflowers.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
癸
癸guǐ葵kuí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
葵 uses 艹 (grass, plant) to show it is a kind of plant and 癸 to give its sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.