About
The character 咭 is a phono-semantic compound used primarily to represent sounds like giggling or to transcribe foreign words. Its left radical 口 (mouth) provides the semantic category, indicating vocalization or speech. The right component 吉 functions solely as a phonetic guide for pronunciation, unrelated to its usual meaning of luck. In modern usage, 咭 is common in dialects such as Cantonese for transliterating English, notably as the standard character for "card" in commercial and technical contexts.