揖

yī

咠 + 扌

Definitions

yī to greet by raising clasped hands

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 咠

About

The character 揖 is a phono-semantic compound describing a highly formalized, respectful greeting gesture used in historical social contexts. It combines the hand radical 扌 (shǒu) on the left, indicating an action performed with the hands, and the phonetic component 咠 (qì) on the right, which guides its pronunciation. Etymologically, it refers to clasping the hands together in front of the chest and bowing slightly to greet guests, superiors, or equals. For centuries, this salutation was standard etiquette, allowing people to show profound deference without needing to kneel or prostrate fully.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他恭敬地向老师作揖。

Tā gōngjìng de xiàng lǎoshī zuòyī.

He bowed respectfully to the teacher.

客人在门前拱手作揖。

Kèrén zài mén qián gǒngshǒu zuòyī.

The guest bowed with hands folded in front of the door.

这位老者揖让的姿势十分标准。

Zhè wèi lǎozhě yīràng de zīshì shífēn biāozhǔn.

This old man's bowing gesture is very standard.

他向大家作揖，感谢他们的帮助。

Tā xiàng dàjiā zuòyī, gǎnxiè tāmen de bāngzhù.

He bowed to everyone, thanking them for their help.

双方代表互相作揖后才开始谈判。

Shuāngfāng dàibiǎo hùxiāng zuòyī hòu cái kāishǐ tánpàn.

The representatives from both sides bowed to each other before starting the negotiation.

他并没有鞠躬，只是简单地作了个揖。

Tā bìng méiyǒu jūgōng, zhǐshì jiǎndān de zuòle gè yī.

He didn't bow deeply, but simply made a bow with hands folded.

这种传统的揖礼如今已不多见。

Zhè zhǒng chuántǒng de yīlǐ rújīn yǐ bù duō jiàn.

This traditional bowing etiquette is rarely seen nowadays.

我们必须懂得古代揖让之礼的内涵。

Wǒmen bìxū dǒngdé gǔdài yīràng zhī lǐ de nèihán.

We must understand the meaning behind the ancient rites of bowing and deference.

Related Characters

Component: 咠

Component: 扌

揖