About
The character "侃" originated in early Chinese writing with a core meaning related to uprightness and straightforwardness in a person's character, as indicated by its persistent human radical 亻 which connects it directly to human conduct. Its structural composition, which combines this radical with a right-hand component that has historically carried connotations of stability and directness, originally emphasized moral integrity and an unyielding demeanor. Over the centuries, the semantic emphasis of the character shifted from describing a quality of personal rectitude toward denoting a particular mode of speech, characterized by ease and fluency, which is captured in later usage such as in the term "侃侃而谈". This transformation illustrates how the character's association moved from ethical posture to verbal expression, while its written form has maintained a consistent appearance throughout its long usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他们喜欢侃大山。
他经常调侃我。
不要总是调侃朋友。
他们一边喝茶一边侃。
他们坐在那里侃了半天。
他的调侃让我有点尴尬。
侃大山是一种休闲方式。
他善于用幽默的方式调侃时事。