艾

ài, yì

乂 + 艹

Definitions

ài (noun) mugwort; wormwood

ài (verb) to stop; to cut short

yì (verb) to mow; to cut; to reap

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 乂 represents the sound.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 乂

About

The character 艾 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 艹 (grass/plant) at the top indicates a botanical connection, while the phonetic component 乂 at the bottom provides its pronunciation. The primary meaning is mugwort or Artemisia, a plant central to traditional Chinese medicine, especially in moxibustion. Over time, the character developed secondary meanings: to reap or cut, to stop, and to denote an elderly person, typically someone over fifty.

Etymology Hide

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

这是一些艾草。

Zhè shì yīxiē ài cǎo.

This is some mugwort.

艾米喜欢唱歌。

Ài mǐ xǐhuān chànggē.

Amy likes singing.

艾叶可以治病。

Ài yè kěyǐ zhìbìng.

Mugwort leaves can treat illnesses.

端午节人们挂艾草。

Duānwǔjié rénmen guà ài cǎo.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, people hang mugwort.

艾灸是一种疗法。

Ài jiǔ shì yī zhǒng liáofǎ.

Moxibustion is a type of therapy.

艾草的香气很特别。

Ài cǎo de xiāngqì hěn tèbié.

The fragrance of mugwort is very special.

我用艾草做了个香包。

Wǒ yòng ài cǎo zuò le gè xiāng bāo.

I made a sachet with mugwort.

艾草在中医里用途广泛。

Ài cǎo zài zhōngyī lǐ yòngtú guǎngfàn.

Mugwort has wide applications in traditional Chinese medicine.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 乂

Component: 艹

艾