掖 (yē) — to tuck (into clothing); to hide (on one's person)
Definition
掖 (yē) is a bound verb meaning to tuck or hide something on your person (a letter in a pocket, cash in clothing). It only appears after 把 or another marker — never as a standalone predicate.
bound form
to tuck (into clothing)to hide (on one's person)
Easily confused
- 液yèlook-alike(bound form) liquid, fluid, juice
- 耶yēsound-alike(phonetic character) used in transliterations for the 'ye' sound, especially in 耶路撒冷 (Jerusalem) and 耶稣 (Jesus)
- 噎yēsound-aliketo choke (on food or drink)
- 椰yēsound-alikecoconut (bound form, used in compounds)
- 吔yēsound-alike(onomatopoeia) used to convey surprise, amazement, or a sigh
Examples
- 掖。Tā bǎ xìn yē zài kǒu dài lǐ.He tucked the letter into his pocket.
- 掖。Tā bǎ qián yē jìn nèi yī lǐ.She hid the money inside her underwear.
- 掖。Xiǎo tōu bǎ zāng wù yē zài yī fu xià miàn.The thief hid the stolen goods under his clothes.
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.
掖 has 扌 (hand) on the left to show an action done with the hand, and 夜 on the right gives the sound.
Appears in
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