芥

gài, jiè

介 + 艹

Definitions

gài see 芥藍|芥蓝[gài lán]

jiè mustard

Etymology

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

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 介

About

芥 is a phono-semantic compound: the grass radical 艹 at the top signals a herbaceous plant, and the 介 at the bottom gives the sound. The character originally named the mustard plant, particularly its seeds, which are crushed to make the pungent condiment. Because mustard seeds are so tiny, 芥 took on the metaphorical sense of anything extremely small or inconsequential. This extended meaning allows it to appear in philosophical and literary texts when referring to trivial matters, minor grudges, or tiny specks.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

芥菜是一种蔬菜。

Jiè cài shì yī zhǒng shū cài.

Mustard greens are a type of vegetable.

他吃寿司喜欢加很多芥末。

Tā chī shòusī xǐhuān jiā hěn duō jièmò.

He likes to add a lot of wasabi when eating sushi.

他们之间曾有过芥蒂。

Tāmen zhī jiān céng yǒu guò jièdì.

There was once some discord between them.

细微如芥子也能入画。

Xìwēi rú jièzǐ yě néng rù huà.

Something as tiny as a mustard seed can also be painted.

他的态度十分倨傲，视人如草芥。

Tā de tàidù shífēn jù'ào, shì rén rú cǎojiè.

His attitude is very arrogant, treating people like worthless grass.

这种芥子气是危险的化学武器。

Zhè zhǒng jièzǐqì shì wēixiǎn de huàxué wǔqì.

This mustard gas is a dangerous chemical weapon.

生命在战火前有时轻如鸿毛，贱如草芥。

Shēngmìng zài zhànhuǒ qián yǒushí qīng rú hóngmáo, jiàn rú cǎojiè.

Life before the flames of war can sometimes be as light as a goose feather and as worthless as dirt.

他心胸宽广，从不将那些微如芥豆的冒犯放在心上。

Tā xīnxiōng kuānguǎng, cóng bù jiāng nà xiē wēi rú jiè dòu de màofàn fàng zài xīn shàng.

He is broad-minded and never takes those tiny, mustard-seed-sized offenses to heart.

Related Characters

Component: 介

Component: 艹

芥