荆 (jīng) — thorny shrub, bramble, chaste tree (Vitex); (surname) Jing
Definition
Literary/archaic word for thorny shrubs and brambles, rarely used alone today — most often seen in set phrases like 荆棘 ('thorns') or 负荆请罪 (a chengyu about admitting fault). Also a rare surname.
noun
thorny shrubbramblechaste tree (Vitex)(surname) Jing
Measure word · 棵
Easily confused
- 经jīngsound-aliketo pass through; to go through (a place, time, or experience)
- 惊jīngsound-aliketo startle, to alarm (someone)
- 精jīngsound-alikeskilled; proficient; refined (of ability)
- 京jīngsound-alikecapital (of a country) — used in names of capital cities
- 鲸jīngsound-alikewhale
- 晶jīngsound-alikecrystal (bound morpheme)
Examples
- ，。Zhè tiáo lù zhǎng mǎn le jīng jí, hěn nán zǒu.This road is overgrown with thorns and brambles, making it hard to walk.
- 荆钗。Gǔ rén cháng yòng jīng chāi bù qún xíng róng jiǎn pǔ de shēng huó.Ancient people often used 'thorn hairpin and cloth skirt' to describe a simple life.
- 荆，。Tā xìng jīng, zhè ge xìng zài zhōng guó hěn shǎo jiàn.His surname is Jing, which is very rare in China.
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