Definitions
(verb)
to divine; to foretell
(noun)
turnip
Etymology
Pictograph of a crack on a bone. In ancient China such cracks were used for fortune-telling.
About
The character "卜" derives from a pictographic representation of the cracks produced on oracle bones during divination rituals, with its basic structure of a vertical line and an attached mark still reflecting this original image. Its primary meaning was the act of divination or the prophecy obtained from it, and over time this core sense broadened to encompass general prediction or fortune-telling. While remaining a standalone logograph, it also functions as a phonetic and semantic component in various compound characters, consistently centered on its fundamental association with seeking knowledge of the future.
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈买了红萝卜。
今天晚餐有萝卜汤。
他用萝卜做了沙拉。
卜卦预测未来并不科学。
古代人常用占卜决定大事。
这位巫师精通各种卜术。
在市场上，白萝卜和红萝卜都很便宜。
虽然卜卦结果如此，但他还是坚持自己的选择。