寄 (jì) — to send (by mail), to mail, to post; to live temporarily away from home, to lodge
Definition
寄 covers two distinct senses: 'mail/post' (a letter or package) and 'lodge temporarily' (stay at or leave things at someone else's place). For mailing, 邮寄 is a more formal written alternative; for staying overnight, use 住宿.
verb
to send (by mail)to mailto postto live temporarily away from home, to lodge
Examples
- 寄。Wǒ zuó tiān jì le yì fēng xìn gěi mā ma.I mailed a letter to my mom yesterday.
- 寄。Tā xiǎo shí hou jì zài shū shu jiā zhù.He lived at his uncle's house when he was little.
- 寄。Wǒ bǎ xíng li jì zài péng you jiā le.I left my luggage at a friend's house (for safekeeping).
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
宀宀miánhouse
The 宀 part shows a roof, and 奇 gives the sound. Together they point to staying or lodging away from home.
Appears in
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