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栖息 (qī xī) — (of birds or animals) to perch, roost, rest, or nest; to inhabit (a place)

Definition

栖息 (qīxī) means to perch, roost, or dwell in a place — usually for animals, but extended to humans for an ancient or primitive way of life. More formal/literary than everyday words like 住.

verb
(of birds or animals) to perchroostrestor nestto inhabit (a place)

Examples

  • 栖息。
    Xǔ duō shuǐ niǎo zài hú biān de lú wěi cóng zhōng qī xī.
    Many water birds roost in the reeds by the lake.
  • 栖息。
    Zhè zhǒng zhēn xī wù zhǒng zhī qī xī yú rè dài yǔ lín shēn chù.
    This rare species only inhabits the depths of the tropical rainforest.
  • 栖息。
    Rén lèi zǔ xiān céng qī xī zài dòng xué zhī zhōng.
    Human ancestors once inhabited caves.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

栖qīperch
息xīrest

The 栖 sense of perching and the 息 sense of resting stand side by side.

Characters in this word

Most 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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
西
西xī栖⁰qī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

栖 is built from 木 (tree) and 西; 木 relates to the meaning, and 西 gives the sound.

Open 栖 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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