About
滑 is a phonosemantic compound combining the water radical 氵, a variant of 水 (shuǐ), which points to wetness and slipperiness, with the phonetic component 骨 (gǔ, 'bone'), whose sound approximates the character's pronunciation; some analyses also see in 骨 a possible suggestion of polished bone's smooth surface. The character originally denoted the frictionless, slippery quality of wet surfaces and water itself. This meaning then broadened to encompass any smooth or sleek surface, and eventually the physical act of slipping or sliding on such a surface. In modern Chinese, the character also serves as a metaphor for a person who is cunning, evasive, or slippery in their dealings with others.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
地面很光滑。
他差点滑倒了。
我们去滑雪吧。
孩子们爱玩滑梯。
他擅长滑板运动。
这个机器使用滑轮。
他的表演很滑稽。
在冰面上走路容易滑倒。
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