奚

xī

爫 + 𡗞

Definitions

xī surname Xi

xī (literary) what?; where?; why?

Etymology

Depicts a hand holding a rope tied to a slave. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 奚 originated as a depiction of a hand holding a rope tied to a slave, giving it the meaning "slave" or "servant". Through centuries of script evolution, this pictograph crystallized into the modern combination of components: 爫 (claw) on top, 幺 (fine thread) in the middle, and 大 (big) at the bottom. This visual transformation obscures the original image of bondage. In classical Chinese literature, the character took on a completely different life, being borrowed purely for its sound to function as an interrogative word meaning "why", "how", or "where".

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal 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

他奚落了同学。

Tā xīluò le tóngxué.

He ridiculed a classmate.

她因奚落他人而道歉。

Tā yīn xīluò tārén ér dàoqiàn.

She apologized for ridiculing others.

奚先生是我们的老师。

Xī xiānsheng shì wǒmen de lǎoshī.

Mr. Xi is our teacher.

我不知道他为何奚落我。

Wǒ bù zhīdào tā wèihé xīluò wǒ.

I don't know why he ridiculed me.

避免奚落别人是一种礼貌。

Bìmiǎn xīluò biérén shì yī zhǒng lǐmào.

Avoiding ridiculing others is a kind of politeness.

尽管被奚落，他仍然坚持自己的观点。

Jǐnguǎn bèi xīluò, tā réngrán jiānchí zìjǐ de guāndiǎn.

Although being ridiculed, he still insisted on his own viewpoint.

奚经理在会议上批评了那种奚落同事的行为。

Xī jīnglǐ zài huìyì shàng pīpíng le nà zhǒng xīluò tóngshì de xíngwéi.

Manager Xi criticized the behavior of ridiculing colleagues at the meeting.

对于这种无端的奚落，我们必须采取严肃的态度。

Duìyú zhè zhǒng wúduān de xīluò, wǒmen bìxū cǎiqǔ yánsù de tàidù.

Regarding this kind of groundless ridicule, we must adopt a serious attitude.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 爫

Example Words