缉 (jī) — (bound form) to arrest, to seize
Definition
A bound morpheme used only in compound words about law-enforcement catching criminals or contraband — always paired with a verb like 捕, 私, or 毒, never used alone.
bound form
to arrestto seize
Examples
- 。Jǐng fāng chéng gōng jī bǔ le zài táo de xián yí rén.The police successfully arrested the fleeing suspect.
- 缉。Hǎi guān bù mén jiā qiáng le jī sī gōng zuò.The customs department strengthened anti-smuggling efforts.
- 。Tā cóng shì jī dú gōng zuò yǐ yǒu shí nián.He has been working in drug enforcement for ten years.
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 緝; 缉 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咠
咠qì緝jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 緝 pairs 糸 (silk) with 咠 as a sound part; the simplified 缉 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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