竭 (jié) — to exhaust; to use up; to do one's utmost (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
竭 (jié) is a bound form meaning 'to exhaust / to do one's utmost' — it only appears in compounds like 竭尽全力 and 枯竭, never as a standalone verb.
bound form
to exhaustto use upto do one's utmost (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Tā jié jìn quán lì wán chéng le rèn wu.He did his utmost to complete the task.
- 。Zhè tiáo hé de hé shuǐ yǐ jīng kū jié le.The water in this river has dried up.
- 。Wǒ men jié chéng huān yíng nín de dào lái.We wholeheartedly welcome your arrival.
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
曷
曷hé竭jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
竭 is built from 立 and 曷: 立 carries the meaning part, while 曷 supplies the sound.
Appears in
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