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桂 (guì) — (in compounds) osmanthus, fragrant flowering tree; (short name) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; (surname) Gui

Definition

A bound form, almost never used alone. It appears in compounds like 桂花 (osmanthus) and 桂林 (Guilin), and as a short name for Guangxi.

bound form
(in compounds) osmanthusfragrant flowering tree(short name) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region(surname) Gui

Examples

  • 桂。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù guì lín kàn kàn.
    I want to visit Guilin next year.
  • ，。
    guì Huā kāi le, zhēn xiāng.
    The osmanthus flowers are blooming — they smell wonderful.
  • 桂。
    Wǒ yǒu gè tóng shì xìng guì.
    I have a colleague whose surname is Gui.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī桂guì
Same sound today

桂 is built from 木, a tree, and 圭, which points to its sound.

Appears in
Plants & Flowers

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