Definitions

kǎi high quality iron

Etymology phono-semantic

metal

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is a phono-semantic compound composed of the left-side semantic radical (jīn, 'metal' or 'gold') and the right-side phonetic component (jiē, 'all'). The radical , a simplified form of , places the word in the domain of metals and minerals, while indicates the sound. In traditional writing, the character appears as , using the full radical. Historically, referred to high-quality iron or well-forged steel, metals that had been thoroughly refined. Though now rare in everyday language and largely absent as a technical term, it remains a very popular name element, chosen for its positive associations with resilience, strength, and superior quality.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern