际 (jì) — (bound form) border, boundary, edge; (bound form) occasion, time; (bound form) among, between, inter-
Definition
际 (jì) is a bound morpheme meaning 'edge/boundary' or 'among/between' — almost always seen in set compounds like 国际 (international), 实际 (actual), 交际 (social interaction). It is NOT a word on its own.
bound form
borderboundaryedgeoccasiontimeamongbetweeninter-
Examples
- 。Guó jì guān xì hěn zhòng yào.International relations are very important.
- ？Shí jì qíng kuàng rú hé?What is the actual situation?
- ，。Bì yè zhī jì, dà jiā dōu hěn bú shè.At the time of graduation, everyone was very reluctant.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 際; 际 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.
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