靠 (kào) — to lean against; to come near to; to depend on; to rely on; to trust
Definition
靠 covers both senses: physical leaning ('lean against') and figurative reliance ('depend on, trust'). For the reliance sense, 依靠 is more formal and works as a noun ('support'); 凭 focuses on the basis or means ('on the basis of').
verb
to lean againstto come near toto depend onto rely onto trust
Examples
- 靠。Tā kào zài yǐ zi shàng shuì zháo le.He leaned on the chair and fell asleep.
- 靠。Zhè cì kǎo shì zhǐ néng kào zì jǐ le.This exam can only rely on oneself.
- 。Chuán kào àn de shí hou yào zhù yì ān quán.Be careful when the boat approaches the dock.
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.
靠 is made of 告 and 非: 告 gives the sound, and 非 gives the meaning.
Appears in
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