About
The character 刻 is a phono-semantic compound: the right-side standing knife radical 刂 conveys the core meaning of cutting or carving, while the left component 亥 provides the pronunciation. Its original sense refers to the physical act of engraving marks onto materials like wood or stone. Since ancient water clocks marked time with such carved divisions, the character also came to mean a specific time unit, a quarter of an hour or a brief moment.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请立刻告诉我。
这个时刻很重要。
他学习很刻苦。
她在木头上刻字。
此刻，我们正在开会。
雕刻家正在雕刻一座雕像。
他对时间的要求很刻板。
深刻的理解需要时间。