枯

kū

古 + 木

Definitions

kū (adjective) dried up; withered

kū (verb) to wither; to die

Etymology

tree 木; 古 provides the pronunciation

About

The character 枯 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic 木 'tree' on the left, which signals plant life, and the phonetic 古 (gǔ) on the right, which gives the pronunciation. It first referred to trees and plants that had withered, dried up, or lost vitality because of insufficient moisture or seasonal shifts. From this literal sense, it grew to metaphorically describe anything stale, uninteresting, or lacking creative spark, for instance, an uninspired essay or a monotonous routine. It is also used in medical contexts to denote severe emaciation, desiccation, or the wasting of bodily fluids and strength.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小草枯黄了。

Xiǎo cǎo kū huáng le.

The grass has withered and turned yellow.

树木在秋天枯萎。

Shùmù zài qiūtiān kūwěi.

Trees wither in autumn.

枯枝在风中摇摆。

Kūzhī zài fēng zhōng yáobǎi.

Withered branches sway in the wind.

长期干旱导致井枯。

Chángqī gānhàn dǎozhì jǐng kū.

Long-term drought has caused the well to dry up.

他的声音枯涩无力。

Tā de shēngyīn kūsè wúlì.

His voice is dry and weak.

经济枯竭让人担忧。

Jīngjì kūjié ràng rén dānyōu.

The economic depletion is worrying.

她的创作灵感枯竭了。

Tā de chuàngzuò línggǎn kūjié le.

Her creative inspiration has dried up.

这片土地因缺水而枯荒。

Zhè piàn tǔdì yīn quē shuǐ ér kūhuāng.

This land has become barren due to lack of water.

Related Characters

Component: 古

Component: 木

枯