Definitions

guà (noun) divinatory trigram; hexagram from the Book of Changes
guà (noun) divination; fortune telling

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character '卦' is etymologically formed by combining the semantic radical '卜,' which refers to the act of divination, with the phonetic component '圭,' creating a character whose structure directly implies its original function related to oracular symbols. Historically, it specifically denoted the eight trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams foundational to the I Ching's system of representing cosmic principles and facilitating divination. While its primary meaning remains anchored in these classical divinatory diagrams, the conceptual scope of '卦' has extended over time to encompass any symbolic pattern or model that analogously maps transformations and interactions within various contexts. This evolution is further reflected in its modern linguistic adaptations, where it serves as a constituent in compounds like '八卦,' which metaphorically applies the notion of interrelated symbols to the realm of casual gossip and anecdotal exchange.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个象很难解释。

Zhè ge guàxiàng hěn nán jiěshì.

This divination symbol is very difficult to interpret.

他用八来预测未来。

Tā yòng bāguà lái yùcè wèilái.

He uses the Eight Trigrams to predict the future.

爷爷会算,但从不轻易给人算。

Yéye huì suànguà, dàn cóng bù qīngyì gěi rén suàn.

Grandfather knows how to divine, but he never does it for people lightly.

太极图中间有八的图案。

Tàijítú zhōngjiān yǒu bāguà de tú'àn.

There is a pattern of the Eight Trigrams in the center of the Taiji diagram.

占卜师仔细地分析着每一个

Zhānbǔshī zǐxì de fēnxīzhe měi yī gè guà.

The fortune-teller carefully analyzed each hexagram.

《易经》中的六十四各有深意。

"Yì Jīng" zhōng de liùshísì guà gè yǒu shēnyì.

Each of the sixty-four hexagrams in the "Book of Changes" has profound meaning.

根据辞,你最近的运势会有转变。

Gēnjù guàcí, nǐ zuìjìn de yùnshì huì yǒu zhuǎnbiàn.

According to the hexagram statement, your recent fortune will undergo a change.

他的一生仿佛都被那神秘的所注定。

Tā de yīshēng fǎngfú dōu bèi nà shénmì de guà suǒ zhùdìng.

His whole life seems to have been destined by that mysterious divination.