结 (jié) — (noun) knot; (verb) to tie, to bind; (verb) to settle, to conclude (e.g., 结账, 结束)
Definition
结 is the basic word for a physical knot or tying things together (打结, 绳子结在一起). For figurative ties between people, prefer 纽带; 束 alone is not used as a verb here.
noun
knot
verb
to tieto bindto settleto conclude (e.g., 结账, 结束)
Examples
- 结。Tā zài shéng zi shàng dǎ le yí gè jié.He tied a knot in the rope.
- 结。Qǐng bǎ zhè liǎng gēn shéng zi jié zài yì qǐ.Please tie these two ropes together.
- 。Huì yì jié shù le.The meeting ended.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 結; 结 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.