塞

sāi, sài, sè

土 + 𡨄

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

sāi (verb) to stuff; to stop up; to block; to squeeze in

sài (noun) strategic pass; border fortress

sè (verb) to block; to stuff

Etymology

Depicts two hands (廾) stuffing various objects (工) into an enclosed space (宀). The 土 (earth) component was added later.

Semantic: 土

About

塞 is a phono-semantic compound with 土 (earth) at the base, giving the meanings of earth, borders, or filling with material. The upper part originally depicted two hands (廾) stuffing various objects (工) into an enclosed space (宀), conveying the idea of blocking or packing tightly; this component later also hinted at the sound. The 土 element was added later to reinforce the earth-related sense, and the character now carries multiple pronunciations and meanings, functioning as a verb (to stuff, fill, obstruct) and as a noun referring to a strategic frontier pass or a fortified border built of earth.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的书包塞满了书。

Wǒ de shūbāo sāi mǎn le shū.

My backpack is stuffed with books.

路上塞车了。

Lù shang sāi chē le.

There is a traffic jam on the road.

他把袜子塞进鞋里。

Tā bǎ wàzi sāi jìn xié lǐ.

He stuffed the socks into the shoes.

这个箱子塞不下更多东西。

Zhège xiāngzi sāi bù xià gèng duō dōngxi.

This box cannot hold more things.

边塞地区风景壮丽。

Biān sài dìqū fēngjǐng zhuànglì.

The frontier region has magnificent scenery.

他塞给我一张纸条。

Tā sāi gěi wǒ yī zhāng zhǐtiáo.

He slipped me a note.

管道被杂物塞住了。

Guǎndào bèi záwù sāi zhù le.

The pipe is blocked by debris.

在表格里塞入太多信息会显得混乱。

Zài biǎogé lǐ sāi rù tài duō xìnxī huì xiǎnde hǔnluàn.

Putting too much information in the form will make it look messy.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 土

Component: 𡨄

塞