携 (xié) — to carry, to take along (formal/literary); to hold (sb.) by the hand; to join hands (often figurative: to cooperate)
Definition
Literary/formal verb for 'to carry or take along' (e.g. 携带), and in set phrases like 携手 ('join hands, cooperate'). In everyday speech use 带 instead — 携 sounds bookish.
verb
to carryto take along (formal/literary)to hold (sb.) by the handto join hands (often figurative: to cooperate)
Easily confused
- 鞋xiésound-alikeshoe
- 叶xiésound-alikeharmonize; be in harmony (literary, bound form)
- 邪xiésound-alikeevil, wicked, demonic
- 斜xiésound-alike(adjective) slanted, oblique, inclined, tilted
- 协xiésound-alike(bound form) to coordinate, to assist, to cooperate (used in compounds)
- 偕xiésound-alike(literary bound form) in the company of, together with
Examples
- 。Qǐng gè wèi chéng kè xié dài hǎo zì jǐ de xíng li.Please all passengers carry your own luggage.
- 携。Tā xié zhe mǔ qīn de shǒu màn màn dì zǒu.He held his mother's hand and walked slowly.
- 。Liǎng guó xié shǒu gòng chuàng wèi lái.The two countries work hand in hand to create the future.
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.
Sound part声符shēngfú
雟
雟guī携xié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
携 pairs ⺘, a hand, with 雟, a sound part, to show carrying something hanging from the hand.
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