About
The character for sharpness, now commonly written as 锐, originates from the traditional form 銳, which is structured from the metal radical 金 on the left and the component 兌 on the right, serving primarily as a phonetic indicator. This combination clearly points to an early association with the keen edge of metal weapons or tools, defining its core meaning as pointed or acute. Over centuries, this concrete sense of physical sharpness naturally extended into more abstract domains, giving rise to meanings such as mental acuity, penetrating insight, and a vigorous or intense force, as seen in terms describing a sharp mind or a rapid advance. The simplification of the character modified the metal component to its abbreviated form 钅 but left the conceptual linkage to metal and the essential range of meanings intact, demonstrating a continuity from tangible sharp objects to intangible qualities of keenness and intensity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这把小刀非常锐利。
他的问题很尖锐。
年轻人充满锐气。
她具有敏锐的观察力。
公司的利润突然锐减。
他锐意改革公司制度。
这个三角形有一个锐角。
这支部队是精锐中的精锐。