妻 (qī) — wife (bound form, used in compound words)
Definition
妻 (qī) is a bound/ literary form meaning 'wife', almost never used alone — it appears as a building block in compounds like 妻子 and 夫妻. In everyday speech, use 妻子 or 老婆.
bound form
wife (bound form, used in compound words)
Examples
- 。Tā hé tā qī zi guān xì hěn hǎo.He has a good relationship with his wife.
- 。Zhè duì fū qī hěn ēn ài.This couple is very loving.
- 妻。Tā dài zhe qī ér qù le guó wài.He took his wife and children abroad.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 肀肀yùhand grabbing hair
- 女女nǚwoman
妻 combines 肀, a hand grabbing hair, with 女, a woman, showing a man grabbing a woman's hair to show ownership.
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