阁 (gé) — pavilion; cabinet (government); shelf; rack
Definition
A literary/bound form almost always seen in compounds: 亭阁 (pavilion), 内阁 (cabinet), 阁楼 (loft). Rarely stands alone.
bound form
pavilioncabinet (government)shelfrack
Easily confused
- 搁gēlook-aliketo put, to place (informal, often in northern dialects)
- 隔gésound-aliketo separate, to be at a distance from (spatially)
- 闻wénlook-aliketo smell
- 葛gésound-alikesurname
- 闺guīlook-alike(bound form) boudoir; women's quarters; used in compounds related to women's private space or close female relationships
- 蛤gésound-alikeclam; bivalve
Examples
- 。Xīn chéng lì de nèi gé yóu zhèng fǔ gāo céng zǔ chéng.The newly formed cabinet is composed of high-level government officials.
- 。Xīn zǒng lǐ zhèng zài zǔ jiàn tā de nèi gé.The new prime minister is forming his cabinet.
- 阁。Shān dǐng shàng yǒu yí zuò gǔ lǎo de tíng gé.There is an ancient pavilion on the mountaintop.
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 閣; 阁 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méngate
The traditional form 閣 pairs 門 (gate) with 各, which gives the pronunciation; this note is about 閣, not the simplified 阁.
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