Definitions

ài fine quality jade

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character (traditional: ) is a phono-semantic compound: the radical on the left means 'jade', establishing the semantic field, and the right-hand component (ài) provides the pronunciation. The character denotes a fine jade or a beautiful jewel, a meaning linked to the jade radical. During simplification, the phonetic lost its central heart element to become , but the overall structure of a material-indicating radical paired with a sound component remained unchanged.