圪

gē

乞 + 土

Definitions

gē (phonetic)

Etymology phono-semantic

earth

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 乞

About

The character 圪 is a phono-semantic compound with the earth radical 土 on the left and the phonetic component 乞 (qǐ) on the right. The semantic component relates it to soil or terrain, while the phonetic component indicates its pronunciation. Historically, it has been used primarily in northern Chinese dialects to denote a small mound, a lump of earth, or a minor topographic rise. Beyond this geographical sense, it commonly functions as a noun suffix or phonetic particle in colloquial speech, helping to form dialectal words for small objects, corners, or uneven surfaces without carrying a single fixed meaning.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他喜欢圪蹴着吃饭。

Tā xǐhuān gējiū zhe chīfàn.

He likes to squat while eating.

竹子上有个小圪节。

Zhúzi shàng yǒu gè xiǎo gējie.

There is a small knot on the bamboo.

她圪皱眉头思考问题。

Tā gēzhòu méitóu sīkǎo wèntí.

She wrinkles her brow while thinking about the problem.

路上有许多土圪垯。

Lù shàng yǒu xǔduō tǔ gēda.

There are many small dirt lumps on the road.

老汉圪蹴在墙角晒太阳。

Lǎohàn gējiū zài qiángjiǎo shài tàiyang.

The old man squats in the corner to bask in the sun.

这根竹子圪节太多，不好用。

Zhè gēn zhúzi gējie tài duō, bù hǎo yòng.

This bamboo has too many knots, so it's not easy to use.

他一起身，腿上的圪垯就消失了。

Tā yì qǐshēn, tuǐ shàng de gēda jiù xiāoshī le.

As soon as he stood up, the lump on his leg disappeared.

尽管地面圪垯不平，他仍稳步前行。

Jǐnguǎn dìmiàn gēda bù píng, tā réng wěn bù qiánxíng.

Although the ground was uneven with lumps, he still walked steadily forward.

Related Characters

Component: 乞

Component: 土