Definitions

kuí (noun) one of the 28 constellations in Chinese astronomy
kuí (noun) crotch

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 奎 (kuí) consists of 大 (dà), meaning "big" or "person", at the top and 圭 (guī), a jade tablet, below as a phonetic component. Its original structure depicted the space between a person's legs or the crotch, denoting a striding motion or the spreading apart of the lower limbs. Over time, its primary meaning shifted from everyday anatomy to become the name of the "Legs" constellation among the Twenty-Eight Mansions in traditional Chinese astronomy. While this astronomical term remains its most prominent modern use, the character also appears occasionally in personal names, with its original anatomical sense largely obsolete in daily communication.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

先生住在北京。

Kuí xiānsheng zhù zài Běijīng.

Mr. Kui lives in Beijing.

是我的同学。

Lǐ Kuí shì wǒ de tóngxué.

Li Kui is my classmate.

宁是一种药物。

Kuíníng shì yī zhǒng yàowù.

Quinine is a type of medicine.

我们学习了星的故事。

Wǒmen xuéxí le Kuíxīng de gùshi.

We learned the story of the Kuistar.

因医生治好了我的病。

Kuíyīn yīshēng zhì hǎo le wǒ de bìng.

Doctor Kuin cured my illness.

这本书介绍了宁的用途。

Zhè běn shū jièshào le kuíníng de yòngtú.

This book introduces the uses of quinine.

在化学课上我们讨论了宁的结构。

Zài huàxué kè shàng wǒmen tǎolùn le kuíníng de jiégòu.

In chemistry class we discussed the structure of quinine.

由于宁的副作用医生建议谨慎使用。

Yóuyú kuíníng de fùzuòyòng yīshēng jiànyì jǐnshèn shǐyòng.

Due to the side effects of quinine doctors advise using it cautiously.