About
The traditional character 乾 is structurally composed of the component 倝, typically considered a phonetic indicator, combined with 乙, which may contribute a semantic association with air or movement. Etymologically, its earliest uses connected it to celestial concepts, most prominently as the symbol for heaven and the creative male principle within the framework of the I Ching. Through historical linguistic processes, the character later developed a distinct meaning of dryness, likely arising from phonetic loan or semantic shift, which coexisted with its cosmological sense in classical literature. This duality of meaning persisted, leading to a layered semantic profile where the simplified form 干 now conveys both the sense of dryness and various verbal functions, while the traditional orthography retains a closer link to its original philosophical connotations.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的房間很乾淨。
我們一起乾杯吧。
天氣非常乾燥。
乾坤代表天地。
他做事很乾脆。
宇宙的乾坤變化無常。
乾燥的季節容易引起火災。
人生的乾坤需要自己把握。