阙

闕

què, quē

欮 + 门

Definitions

què surname Que

quē used in place of 缺 (old); mistake

què Imperial city watchtower (old); fault; deficiency

Etymology phono-semantic

gate

Semantic: 门 Phonetic: 欮

About

The character 阙 is a phono-semantic compound originally denoting the freestanding ceremonial watchtowers placed on either side of a palace gate. The semantic radical 门 (written as 門 in traditional script) signals a connection to doors, entrances, and gateways, while the internal component 欮 provides the sound. Since the paired towers create an open space between them for passage, the character's meaning expanded to include the ideas of an omission, a vacancy, or a missing element, particularly in written texts and official records.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这座宫殿的城阙非常壮观。

Zhè zuò gōngdiàn de chéngquè fēi cháng zhuàngguān.

The watchtowers of this palace are very magnificent.

历史记载中这一段暂时阙如。

Lìshǐ jìzǎi zhōng zhè yī duàn zànshí quērú.

This part is temporarily missing in the historical records.

文件的阙漏需要尽快补上。

Wénjiàn de quēlòu xūyào jǐnkuài bǔ shàng.

The omissions in the document need to be filled in as soon as possible.

面对知识上的阙疑，他决定深入研究。

Miànduì zhīshì shàng de quēyí, tā juédìng shēnrù yánjiū.

Faced with gaps in his knowledge, he decided to conduct in-depth research.

古代帝王居住在巍峨的宫阙之中。

Gǔdài dìwáng jūzhù zài wēi'é de gōngquè zhī zhōng.

Ancient emperors lived within the majestic palace towers.

碑文上的字迹因年代久远而有些阙残。

Bēiwén shàng de zìjì yīn niándài jiǔyuǎn ér yǒuxiē quē cán.

The inscriptions on the stele are somewhat残缺 (damaged/incomplete) due to its great age.

这份报告的内容详实，几无阙失。

Zhè fèn bàogào de nèiróng xiángshí, jǐ wú quēshī.

The content of this report is detailed and accurate, with almost no omissions or errors.

他对古典文献的校勘力求弥补前人的阙误。

Tā duì gǔdiǎn wénxiàn de jiàokān lìqiú míbǔ qiánrén de quēwù.

In his collation of classical documents, he strives to correct the errors and omissions left by previous scholars.

Related Characters

Component: 欮

Component: 门

阙