瑕

xiá

叚 + 王

Definitions

xiá blemish; flaw in jade

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 王 represents the meaning and 叚 represents the sound.

Semantic: 王 Phonetic: 叚

About

瑕 is formed as a phono-semantic compound. Its left side, 王, is a compressed version of the character 玉 (jade) that appears when it functions as a radical in other characters. This radical signals that the character's meaning belongs to the semantic field of jade and its attributes. The right side, 叚, is a phonetic component that indicates the pronunciation. The original concrete meaning is a flaw, crack, or blemish in jade. From that, the sense broadened metaphorically to denote any defect, fault, or shortcoming, whether in a person's character or in intangible concepts.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这件衣服没有瑕疵。

Zhè jiàn yīfu méiyǒu xiácī.

This clothing has no flaws.

玉器上发现了一个瑕疵。

Yùqì shàng fāxiànle yīgè xiácī.

A flaw was found on the jade.

他的计划完美无瑕。

Tā de jìhuà wánměi wúxiá.

His plan is flawless.

这份报告有一些小瑕疵。

Zhè fèn bàogào yǒu yīxiē xiǎo xiácī.

This report has some minor flaws.

尽管有瑕疵，但我们还是接受了它。

Jǐnguǎn yǒu xiácī, dàn wǒmen háishì jiēshòule tā.

Despite the flaws, we still accepted it.

她的品德洁白无瑕。

Tā de pǐndé jiébái wúxiá.

Her moral character is pure and flawless.

如果产品有瑕疵，消费者可以要求退货。

Rúguǒ chǎnpǐn yǒu xiácī, xiāofèizhě kěyǐ yāoqiú tuìhuò.

If the product has flaws, consumers can request a return.

在艺术创作中，微小的瑕疵有时反而增添了作品的独特性。

Zài yìshù chuàngzuò zhōng, wēixiǎo de xiácī yǒushí fǎn'ér zēngtiānle zuòpǐn de dútèxìng.

In artistic creation, minor flaws sometimes instead add to the uniqueness of the work.

Related Characters

Component: 叚

Component: 王

瑕