闺

閨

guī

圭 + 门

Definitions

guī (noun) women's chamber; boudoir

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 门 represents the meaning and 圭 represents the sound. Simplified form of 閨.

Semantic: 门 Phonetic: 圭

About

闺 is the simplified form of 閨, a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic component 门 (door) and the phonetic component 圭 (guī, jade tablet). In the traditional form, 圭 enclosed within 門 suggests an inner, private space. Originally, it referred to the small door leading to the inner quarters reserved for the women and unmarried daughters of a traditional household. The meaning later shifted from the architectural space to the young women who lived there, coming to denote daughters, female friends, and feminine domesticity.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她是我的闺蜜。

Tā shì wǒ de guīmì.

She is my best friend (female).

我的闺女今年五岁了。

Wǒ de guīnǚ jīnnián wǔ suì le.

My daughter is five years old this year.

姐姐的闺房非常整洁。

Jiějie de guīfáng fēicháng zhěngjié.

My older sister's boudoir is very tidy.

少女的闺中密友来看她了。

Shàonǚ de guī zhōng mìyǒu lái kàn tā le.

The young lady's close female friend came to visit her.

这些诗词描写了深闺女子的忧愁。

Zhèxiē shīcí miáoxiěle shēnguī nǚzǐ de yōuchóu.

These poems describe the sorrow of women in the inner chambers.

古代女子大多待字闺中。

Gǔdài nǚzǐ dàduō dàizì guī zhōng.

In ancient times, most unmarried women stayed in the inner chambers.

小说细腻刻画了她的闺阁生活。

Xiǎoshuō xìnì kèhuàle tā de guīgé shēnghuó.

The novel meticulously depicts her life in the women's quarters.

这部作品突破了传统闺怨诗的题材。

Zhè bù zuòpǐn tūpòle chuántǒng guīyuàn shī de tícái.

This work breaks through the traditional themes of boudoir resentment poetry.

Related Characters

Component: 圭

Component: 门

闺