器 (qì) — (bound form) container, utensil, or ware; (bound form) instrument, tool, or appliance; (bound form) organ (of the body); talent or capacity
Definition
器 is a bound morpheme meaning 'utensil, tool, or device' — it almost always needs a prefix to form a real word (乐器, 电器, 仪器), and the compound 器官 means 'organ'.
bound form
containerutensilor wareinstrumenttoolor applianceorgan (of the body)talent or capacity
Examples
- 。Tā xǐ huan shōu jí gè zhǒng yuè qì.He likes to collect all kinds of musical instruments.
- 。Mǎi xīn diàn qì shí yào xuǎn zé jié néng de.When buying new electrical appliances, choose energy-saving ones.
- 。Rén tǐ nèi bù de qì guān xū yào hǎo hǎo bǎo hù.The internal organs of the human body need good protection.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.
Appears in
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