Definitions

kuài chopped meat or fish

Etymology phono-semantic

meat

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character , derived from the traditional form , refers to finely minced or thinly sliced meat and fish, a prized preparation in classical Chinese gastronomy. Its left-side radical denotes flesh or meat, placing it among anatomical terms, while the right-side component (traditional ) serves as the phonetic element. The meaning captures the ancient culinary technique of eating raw, finely sliced fish or meat, and it appears most prominently in a common idiom describing something universally praised, likening its appeal to the widespread delight in this delicately sliced meat.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern