About
The character 插, meaning to insert or thrust in, derives its form from the hand radical (扌) combined with the component 臿, which historically conveyed both sound and the sense of something being pounded or mixed in. This structure logically reflects the core physical action of putting one thing into another by hand, such as planting seeds in earth or placing an object into a container. While this concrete meaning remains primary, its application has broadened over time to include more abstract or figurative acts of interposing or intervening, as in inserting a comment into a discussion or interpolating text. The character's traditional form maintains this clear compositional logic, and its essential concept of forceful, deliberate placement has persisted even as the contexts for its use have diversified.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请把钥匙插进门锁。
有人喜欢在排队时插队。
墙上有一个电源插座。
他讲话时，别人不能随便插嘴。
这本书里插入了很多精美的图片。
她把鲜花插在了花瓶里。
这个项目是由政府直接投资插手的。
学习插花艺术需要耐心和创意。