Definitions

cāi (verb) to guess

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Meanings derived from resentful suspicion.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

猜 is a phono-semantic compound. The left side features the animal radical 犭, often associated with canine or beast-like behaviors, while the right side provides the phonetic element 青. Its original meaning conveyed suspicion or distrust, metaphorically linked to the wary vigilance of a guarding dog. Over time, the sense evolved from malicious suspicion toward the neutral cognitive acts of guessing, speculating, or estimating an unknown, now forming words related to solving riddles or predicting outcomes.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是什么?

Nǐ cāi zhè shì shénme?

Guess what this is?

不到答案。

Wǒ cāi bù dào dá'àn.

I can't guess the answer.

孩子们喜欢谜语。

Háizimen xǐhuān cāi míyǔ.

Children like guessing riddles.

测明天会下雨。

Tā cāicè míngtiān huì xiàyǔ.

He guesses that it will rain tomorrow.

你能中我的心思吗?

Nǐ néng cāi zhòng wǒ de xīnsī ma?

Can you guess what I'm thinking?

根据线索,我出了凶手。

Gēnjù xiànsuǒ, wǒ cāi chūle xiōngshǒu.

Based on the clues, I guessed the murderer.

不要胡乱测别人的意图。

Bùyào húluàn cāicè biérén de yìtú.

Don't randomly guess others' intentions.

科学家通过数据测宇宙的年龄。

Kēxuéjiā tōngguò shùjù cāicè yǔzhòu de niánlíng.

Scientists use data to guess the age of the universe.