叩

敂
kòu
卩 + 口

Definitions

kòu to knock; to kowtow
kòu old variant of 叩[kòu]; to knock

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 卩 represents the meaning and 口 represents the sound. Simplified form of 敂.

Semantic: 卩 Phonetic: 口

About

The character 叩 combines the mouth radical 口 on the left with the component 卩 on the right, which historically depicts a kneeling figure. Although classified under the mouth radical, its core meaning involves a physical striking motion, such as knocking on a door or tapping an object to produce sound. This striking sense extends to the formal gesture of kowtowing, kneeling and touching one’s forehead to the ground, because the right component evokes a person in a posture of reverence, submission, or earnest supplication.

Example Sentences Hide

他轻轻地叩门。

Tā qīng qīng de kòu mén.

He knocks on the door gently.

早上，我叩了叩门。

Zǎoshang, wǒ kòu le kòu mén.

In the morning, I knocked on the door.

她叩门想问事情。

Tā kòu mén xiǎng wèn shìqing.

She knocks on the door to ask about something.

我们叩头表示尊敬。

Wǒmen kòu tóu biǎoshì zūnjìng.

We kowtow to show respect.

叩问真相需要勇气。

Kòuwèn zhēnxiàng xūyào yǒngqì.

Inquiring into the truth requires courage.

他叩响了邻居的门。

Tā kòu xiǎng le línjū de mén.

He knocked on the neighbor's door.

每次回家，他都会叩门三下。

Měi cì huí jiā, tā dōu huì kòu mén sān xià.

Every time he returns home, he knocks on the door three times.

在古老的仪式中，人们叩首祈福。

Zài gǔlǎo de yíshì zhōng, rénmen kòu shǒu qí fú.

In ancient rituals, people kowtow to pray for blessings.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

命

Component: 卩

却 即 印 爷 卿 卸 卯 㕁 卩 卪 卬 卲 卹 卻

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Example Words

叩首 三跪九叩 叩问 叩拜 叩门 叩头 叩见