膝盖 (xī gài) — knee (body part); (slang) knee used to express…

Definition

Means the body part 'knee.' Online, 收下我的膝盖 ('accept my knee') is a slang expression of awe or playful submission to someone's skill.

noun

knee (body part)(slang) knee used to express admiration or humble submission (in 收下我的膝盖)

Measure word · 个

膝盖。
Wǒ de xī gài zuó tiān dǎ qiú shí zhuàng dào le.
I bumped my knee while playing ball yesterday.
膝盖。
Pǎo bù qián yí dìng yào zuò hǎo xī gài de rè shēn yùn dòng.
Be sure to warm up your knees before running.
，膝盖！
Dà shén, shōu xià wǒ de xī gài ba!
Master, please accept my knee (I bow to your awesomeness)!

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The knee 膝 identifies the cap 盖, naming the leg joint.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body

Sound part声符shēngfú

桼

桼qī膝xī

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 膝, ⺼ is the body form of 肉, marking a body part, and 桼 gives the sound.

Most 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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

盍

盍hé蓋gài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Appears in