脐

臍

qí

月 + 齐

Definitions

qí (bound form) the navel; the umbilicus; (bound form) the belly flap of a crab; apron

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 齐 represents the sound. Simplified form of 臍.

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 齐

About

脐, the simplified form of 臍, is a phono-semantic compound. The flesh radical ⺼ (月) on the left indicates a body part, and the phonetic 齐 (qí) on the right gives the sound. It denotes the umbilicus, commonly called the navel or belly button , the scar on the mammalian abdomen marking where the umbilical cord was attached during gestation. Beyond its anatomical sense, the character works metaphorically to mean the exact center or hub of a larger physical space, such as the focal point of a city or building.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

妈妈帮我清洁肚脐。

Māma bāng wǒ qīngjié dùqí.

Mom helps me clean my navel.

脐带在出生后脱落。

Qídài zài chūshēng hòu tuōluò.

The umbilical cord falls off after birth.

我喜欢吃脐橙。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī qíchéng.

I like to eat navel oranges.

医生检查了宝宝的脐部。

Yīshēng jiǎnchá le bǎobao de qí bù.

The doctor examined the baby's umbilical area.

脐疝是一种常见婴儿疾病。

Qíshàn shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn yīng'ér jíbìng.

Umbilical hernia is a common infant disease.

保持脐带干燥有助于预防感染。

Bǎochí qídài gānzào yǒu zhù yú yùfáng gǎnrǎn.

Keeping the umbilical cord dry helps prevent infection.

在胚胎发育中，脐带连接胎儿和胎盘。

Zài pēitāi fāyù zhōng, qídài liánjiē tāi'ér hé tāipán.

During embryonic development, the umbilical cord connects the fetus and the placenta.

脐血储存可以用于未来的医疗治疗。

Qí xuě chǔcún kěyǐ yòng yú wèilái de yīliáo zhìliáo.

Cord blood storage can be used for future medical treatments.

Related Characters

Component: 月

Component: 齐

脐