Definitions

(noun) machine; engine
(noun) opportunity
(noun) aircraft
(noun) crucial point; key element

Etymology

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The traditional character 機 is composed of the semantic component 木, indicating wood, and the phonetic component 幾, which also contributes a sense of minute mechanism or incipient movement. Its original meaning was the trigger mechanism of a crossbow or a loom, a critical wooden component that initiates action. From this concrete sense, its meaning expanded to encompass any intricate device or machine, and further abstracted to concepts like opportunity, pivot, or crucial moment. The simplified form 机 is itself an ancient character, historically denoting a small table or stool, which was adopted as a graphic simplification to represent the meanings of 機, thereby creating a homograph.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一架飞

Zhè shì yī jià fēijī.

This is an airplane.

我的手坏了。

Wǒ de shǒujī huài le.

My phone is broken.

他抓住了好会。

Tā zhuāzhù le hǎo jīhuì.

He seized a good opportunity.

场里有很多人。

Jīchǎng lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.

There are many people at the airport.

器人的技术很先进。

Jīqìrén de jìshù hěn xiānjìn.

Robot technology is very advanced.

智地解决了问题。

Tā jīzhì de jiějué le wèntí.

She cleverly solved the problem.

这个关的设计非常巧妙。

Zhège jīguān de shèjì fēicháng qiǎomiào.

The design of this mechanism is very ingenious.

在危中寻找转需要智慧。

Zài wēijī zhōng xúnzhǎo zhuǎnjī xūyào zhìhuì.

Finding a turnaround in a crisis requires wisdom.