漆 (qī) — (noun) paint, lacquer; (verb) to paint (furniture, walls, etc.)
Definition
漆 is a less common word for 'paint/lacquer' and 'to paint,' usually for coating walls or furniture. 油漆 is the everyday word for paint as a substance; 刷 focuses on the brushing action, and 画/绘画 are for drawing and artistic painting.
noun
paintlacquer
verb
to paint (furniture, walls, etc.)
Measure word · 道
Examples
- 漆。Zhè dào qī de yán sè hěn liàng.This coat of paint has a very bright color.
- 漆。Gōng rén zhèng zài gěi mén qī shàng bái sè.The workers are painting the door white.
- 漆。Zhè miàn qiáng xū yào chóng xīn qī yí biàn.This wall needs to be repainted.
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
桼
桼qī漆qī
Same sound today
漆 adds 水 (water) to 桼 (resin used to make varnish), which was the earlier form of the word.
Appears in
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