(chì) — (bound form) red; (bound form) bare, naked

Definition

赤 (chì) is a bound/formal morpheme meaning 'red' (as in 赤道) or 'bare/naked' (as in 赤脚). In everyday speech use 红 for 'red' and 光/裸 for 'bare'.

bound form
redbarenaked

Examples

  • Zhè ge guó jiā jīn nián cái zhèng chū xiàn le chì zì.
    This country's finances have shown a deficit this year.
  • Hái zi men zài shā tān shàng chì jiǎo bēn pǎo.
    The children ran barefoot on the beach.
  • Chì dào shì dì qiú shàng zuì rè de dì dài zhī yī.
    The equator is one of the hottest regions on Earth.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

赤 is a stylized form showing 大 (a person) and 火 (fire), depicting a person by a fire.

Appears in

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