筷

kuài
快 + 竹

Definitions

kuài (noun) chopstick

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 快 represents the sound.

Semantic: ⺮ Phonetic: 快

About

筷 (kuài), the character for chopsticks, is a phono-semantic compound: the bamboo radical 竹 atop indicates the material of early utensils, while 快 (kuài) below supplies the sound. It replaced the older term 箸 (zhù) through taboo avoidance among sailors, who heard in 箸 an unlucky echo of 住 (to stop). They adopted 筷 instead, drawing on the phonetic 快 meaning "fast" to wish for swift travel. This late linguistic shift shows how folk etymology and sound taboos can reshape core vocabulary, eventually standardizing a new character for everyday dining implements.

Example Sentences Hide

我用筷子吃饭。

Wǒ yòng kuàizi chīfàn.

I eat with chopsticks.

她学习使用筷子。

Tā xuéxí shǐyòng kuàizi.

She learns to use chopsticks.

这些筷子是木制的。

Zhèxiē kuàizi shì mù zhì de.

These chopsticks are made of wood.

他拿起筷子夹菜。

Tā ná qǐ kuàizi jiā cài.

He picks up chopsticks to pick up food.

妈妈买了一双新筷子。

Māma mǎi le yī shuāng xīn kuàizi.

Mom bought a new pair of chopsticks.

我用筷子吃面条很容易。

Wǒ yòng kuàizi chī miàntiáo hěn róngyì.

It is easy for me to eat noodles with chopsticks.

如果你不会用筷子，可以用勺子。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù huì yòng kuàizi, kěyǐ yòng sháozi.

If you do not know how to use chopsticks, you can use a spoon.

这家餐厅提供的筷子是一次性的。

Zhè jiā cāntīng tígōng de kuàizi shì yīcìxìng de.

The chopsticks provided by this restaurant are disposable.

Related Characters

Component: 快

第 等 管 笑 算 答 策 简 笔 篇 筑 符 签 箱

Example Words

筷子 碗筷 公筷