桅

wéi

危 + 木

Definitions

wéi mast

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 危 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 危

About

桅 (wéi) is a phono-semantic compound: the left-hand 木 (mù) 'tree, wood' signals the material, and the right-hand 危 (wēi) indicates the sound. Its original meaning is 'mast', the tall wooden pole on a boat or ship that supports sails and rigging. Over time, the term broadened from the shorter masts typical of small traditional boats to any ship's mast. The character remains part of maritime vocabulary, appearing in compounds like 桅杆 (wéigān) 'mast, tall pole,' reflecting its core sense of a vertical wooden maritime structure.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

船上有高高的桅杆。

Chuán shàng yǒu gāo gāo de wéi gān.

There is a tall mast on the ship.

桅杆上挂着一面旗。

Wéi gān shàng guà zhe yī miàn qí.

A flag is hanging on the mast.

水手爬上了桅杆。

Shuǐ shǒu pá shàng le wéi gān.

The sailor climbed up the mast.

风暴中，桅杆剧烈摇晃。

Fēng bào zhōng, wéi gān jù liè yáo huàng.

In the storm, the mast shook violently.

桅灯在夜晚照亮海面。

Wéi dēng zài yè wǎn zhào liàng hǎi miàn.

The mast light illuminates the sea at night.

古老的帆船依然竖着桅杆。

Gǔ lǎo de fān chuán yī rán shù zhe wéi gān.

The ancient sailing ship still has its mast erected.

维修工人正在检查桅杆的结构。

Wéi xiū gōng rén zhèng zài jiǎn chá wéi gān de jié gòu.

The maintenance workers are inspecting the structure of the mast.

桅顶的瞭望台提供了广阔的视野。

Wéi dǐng de liào wàng tái tí gōng le guǎng kuò de shì yě.

The crow's nest at the masthead provides a broad view.

Related Characters

Component: 危

Component: 木

桅