Definitions

chái (noun) firewood
chái (adjective) thin; lean

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound, with the wood radical at the bottom anchoring it in the realm of trees, timber, and wooden materials, and on top serving as the phonetic component. originally depicted a person stopping, but here it purely indicates the pronunciation. The character's core meaning has always been firewood, brushwood or twigs gathered for burning. Over time, it also came to describe something lean and stringy, like tough meat or an emaciated person, drawing a comparison to the dry, hard nature of kindling.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 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

妈妈去市场买了火。

Māma qù shìchǎng mǎi le cháihuo.

Mother went to the market and bought firewood.

我们用火点燃了篝火。

Wǒmen yòng cháihuo diǎnrán le gōuhuǒ.

We used firewood to light the bonfire.

这辆卡车使用油发动机。

Zhè liàng kǎchē shǐyòng cháiyóu fādòngjī.

This truck uses a diesel engine.

米油盐是日常生活所需。

Chái mǐ yóu yán shì rìcháng shēnghuó suǒ xū.

Firewood, rice, oil, and salt are daily necessities.

他正在后院用斧子劈

Tā zhèngzài hòuyuàn yòng fǔzi pī chái.

He is splitting firewood with an axe in the backyard.

山区许多人家仍然烧取暖。

Shānqū xǔduō rénjiā réngrán shāo chái qǔnuǎn.

Many households in the mountainous areas still burn wood for heating.

这种电混合动力系统很高效。

Zhè zhǒng chái diàn hùnhé dònglì xìtǒng hěn gāoxiào.

This diesel-electric hybrid power system is very efficient.

古老的窑烧制出的瓷器别有韵味。

Gǔlǎo de cháiyáo shāozhì chū de cíqì bié yǒu yùnwèi.

The porcelain fired in the ancient wood-burning kiln has a unique charm.