About
The character 欷 is a phono-semantic compound. Its right-side radical, 欠 (qiàn), depicts a person with an open mouth and relates to actions like breathing or sighing. The left-side component, 希 (xī), provides the pronunciation. This combination clearly reflects its core meaning: the act of sobbing or letting out a deep sigh of sorrow. The character specifically conveys vocalized sadness through respiratory action, often appearing in classical literature to express intense grief or lamentation, and its meaning has remained focused on this emotional expression.
Etymology Hide
