Definitions

cuī (adjective) high; precipitous
Cuī (noun) high mountain

Etymology

A bird  faced with a mountain 

About

Originating from early Chinese logographs, the character "崔" is structurally composed of the mountain radical (山) alongside the bird component (隹), a combination that originally symbolized towering or rugged mountains, with the bird element likely serving a phonetic role in its formative stages. Over time, its semantic application broadened from describing specific mountainous landscapes to conveying general attributes of height and loftiness, which could be applied to physical objects or abstract qualities. The character's form has remained largely unchanged, retaining the mountain radical as a clear indicator of its core meaning related to elevation, while the bird component persists as an integral, though no longer phonetically transparent, part of its construction. This evolution has allowed "崔" to function effectively as a surname, carrying forward its associative meanings of prominence and stature without significant alteration to its written structure.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 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)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

老师很好。

Cuī lǎoshī hěn hǎo.

Teacher Cui is very good.

先生住在北京。

Cuī xiānshēng zhù zài Běijīng.

Mr. Cui lives in Beijing.

小姐是医院的医生。

Cuī xiǎojiě shì yīyuàn de yīshēng.

Miss Cui is a doctor at the hospital.

经理今天很忙。

Cuī jīnglǐ jīntiān hěn máng.

Manager Cui is very busy today.

叔叔喜欢打篮球。

Cuī shūshu xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú.

Uncle Cui likes playing basketball.

阿姨做的菜很好吃。

Cuī āyí zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.

Aunt Cui's cooked dishes are very delicious.

同学的学习成绩很好。

Cuī tóngxué de xuéxí chéngjì hěn hǎo.

Classmate Cui's academic performance is very good.

教授在大学里教历史。

Cuī jiàoshòu zài dàxué lǐ jiào lìshǐ.

Professor Cui teaches history at the university.