杞

qǐ

己 + 木

Definitions

qǐ Qi, a Zhou Dynasty vassal state; surname Qi

qǐ Chinese wolfberry shrub (Lycium chinense); willow

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 己 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 己

About

杞 is a phono-semantic compound: 木 (tree) provides the meaning category, while 己 indicates the sound. Its original sense was a type of willow tree. Today, it appears almost exclusively in the compound 枸杞, the wolfberry or goji berry. Historically, 杞 was the name of a feudal state during the Zhou dynasty, and this state is remembered in the idiom 杞人忧天, referring to a person who harbors groundless fears.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我买了一些枸杞。

Wǒ mǎi le yīxiē gǒuqǐ.

I bought some goji berries.

枸杞对眼睛有益。

Gǒuqǐ duì yǎnjīng yǒuyì.

Goji berries are beneficial for the eyes.

他在院子里种枸杞。

Tā zài yuànzi lǐ zhòng gǒuqǐ.

He plants goji berries in the yard.

杞柳可以用来编篮子。

Qǐliǔ kěyǐ yòng lái biān lánzi.

Willow can be used to weave baskets.

杞县在河南省。

Qǐ Xiàn zài Hénán Shěng.

Qi County is in Henan Province.

我们计划去杞县旅游。

Wǒmen jìhuà qù Qǐ Xiàn lǚyóu.

We plan to travel to Qi County.

枸杞的红色果实很鲜艳。

Gǒuqǐ de hóngsè guǒshí hěn xiānyàn.

The red fruits of goji berries are very bright.

由于杞县盛产枸杞，当地经济得以发展。

Yóuyú Qǐ Xiàn shèngchǎn gǒuqǐ, dāngdì jīngjì déyǐ fāzhǎn.

Because Qi County abundantly produces goji berries, the local economy has developed.

Related Characters

Component: 己

Component: 木

杞