跪 (guì) — to kneel
Definition
跪 (guì) means 'to kneel' — both knees on the ground, used in prayer, apology, or as a deep gesture of respect. Unlike 蹲 ('squat,' legs bent but not on the ground) and 鞠躬 ('bow,' standing with the upper body), 跪 puts the whole body low.
verb
to kneel
Examples
- 跪。Tā guì zài mén kǒu děng le yí gè xiǎo shí.He knelt at the door for an hour.
- ，。Qǐng guì xià lái, bú yào zhàn zhe.Please kneel down, don't stand.
- ，跪。Zài jiào táng lǐ, rén men dōu guì zhe qí dǎo.In the church, people all kneel and pray.
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.
跪 pairs 足 (foot) with 危, whose shape can be seen as a person kneeling on the ground.
Appears in
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