掴 (guāi) — to slap (with the palm), to smack
Definition
掴 (guāi) is a formal/written verb meaning 'to slap (with the palm)' — close to 打 (dǎ), but 打 is the everyday all-purpose verb while 掴 is reserved for forceful slapping, typically of a person's face.
verb
to slap (with the palm)to smack
Examples
- 掴。Tā shēng qì dì guāi le duì fāng yí gè ěr guāng.He angrily slapped the other person across the face.
- ，掴。Mín jǐng zhuā zhù xiǎo tōu hòu, hěn hěn dì guāi le tā liǎng xià.The police officer caught the thief and slapped him hard twice.
- ，掴。Tā yì shí chōng dòng, guāi le ér zi yì bā zhang.She slapped her son in a moment of impulse.
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 摑; 掴 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
國
國guó摑guāi
Same sound today
The traditional form 摑 pairs 手 (hand) with 國 as a sound clue; the simplified 掴 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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