佳

jiā

亻 + 圭

Definitions

jiā (adjective) good; fine; excellent

jiā (adjective) beautiful

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 圭 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 圭

About

A phonosemantic compound: 亻 'person' gives the meaning, while 圭, originally a pictograph of a jade tablet, supplies the sound. The character initially denoted a person of fine character or appearance, meaning "excellent" or "beautiful". Over time, it came to describe favorable conditions, fine weather, superb artworks, and joyous events like festivals and weddings, acquiring the sense of "auspicious".

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今天的天气绝佳。

Jīntiān de tiānqì jué jiā.

Today's weather is excellent.

这道菜真是美味佳肴。

Zhè dào cài zhēnshi měiwèi jiāyáo.

This dish is truly delicious food (a culinary delight).

她是我心中的最佳人选。

Tā shì wǒ xīnzhōng de zuì jiā rénxuǎn.

She is the best candidate in my mind.

祝你佳节愉快，阖家幸福。

Zhù nǐ jiājié yúkuài, hé jiā xìngfú.

Wishing you a happy festival and a happy family.

这次考试成绩不佳，我需要努力。

Zhè cì kǎoshì chéngjī bù jiā, wǒ xūyào nǔlì.

My performance on this exam was not good; I need to work hard.

他们俩情投意合，堪称佳偶。

Tāmen liǎ qíng tóu yì hé, kān chēng jiā'ǒu.

The two of them are perfectly compatible and can be called an ideal couple.

他在比赛中屡创佳绩。

Tā zài bǐsài zhōng lǚ chuàng jiājì.

He repeatedly achieved excellent results in the competition.

这位作家善于刻画才子佳人的故事。

Zhè wèi zuòjiā shànyú kèhuà cáizǐ jiārén de gùshi.

This writer is good at portraying stories of gifted scholars and beautiful ladies.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 圭

佳