栖 (qī) — (bound form) to perch, roost (as birds); (bound form) to dwell, lodge (in compounds)
Definition
栖 (qī) is a bound (bookish) form meaning 'to perch / to dwell', almost always seen in compounds like 栖息, 两栖, or 栖身. Don't use it on its own — pick a simpler verb like 住 or 休息 in everyday speech.
bound form
to perchroost (as birds)to dwelllodge (in compounds)
Examples
- 。Xǔ duō niǎo r zài shù zhī shàng qī xī.Many birds perch on tree branches.
- 。Zhè zhī qīng wā shì liǎng qī dòng wù.This frog is an amphibian.
- 。Tā zài péng you jiā qī shēn yì wǎn.He lodged at a friend's house for one night.
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.
栖 is built from 木 (tree) and 西; 木 relates to the meaning, and 西 gives the sound.
Appears in
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