棘 (jí) — (bound form) thorn, thorns; (bound form) thorny, difficult (figurative)
Definition
Bound morpheme meaning 'thorn / thorny', almost always seen in 荆棘 (thorns) or 棘手 (thorny, hard to deal with). Alone it does not occur as an independent word.
bound form
thornthornsthornydifficult (figurative)
Easily confused
- 集jísound-alike(noun) collection, anthology, collected works
- 及jísound-alike(conjunction) and; as well as (used in formal writing to connect nouns or noun phrases)
- 吉jísound-alikelucky, auspicious (bound morpheme used in compounds and surnames)
- 急jísound-alike(adjective) urgent; rapid; hurried
- 极jísound-alikeextremely
- 级jísound-alikelevel, grade, rank
Examples
- 。Zhè tiáo xiǎo lù zhǎng mǎn le jīng jí.This path is overgrown with thorns.
- 。Zhè ge wèn tí hěn jí shǒu.This problem is very thorny.
- 。Rén shēng chōng mǎn le jīng jí.Life is full of thorns (difficulties).
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