Meanings of 莖
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About 莖
Podcast: 莖
Podcast: 莖
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AI Study Notes for 莖
茎 (jīng) vs 干 (gān) — use 莖 (jīng) when specifically referring to the stem of a plant, while 干 (gān) can refer to a trunk or pole and is broader in application.
Be careful not to confuse 莖 (jīng) with other similar-sounding words, especially those with different tones. This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in scientific or educational discussions about botany.
Although 莖 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to Level 3-4 terms like '植物' (zhíwù - plant) and '根' (gēn - root), which are essential for discussing flora. Focus on recognizing its usage in plant-related contexts.
Learners often mistakenly write 莖 as 精 (jīng), which means 'essence' or 'refined'. Remember that 莖 has the radical for plants (艹) at the top, indicating its botanical meaning.
Pronunciation of 莖
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Etymology of 莖
grass
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 莖
- 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half巠 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaygrass
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 莖? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 莖
Identify the Components
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How to say stem, stalk in Chinese
“stem, stalk” in Chinese is莖
The character 莖 (jīng) refers to the stem or stalk of a plant, which is the main support structure that holds leaves and flowers. In common usage, it can describe various plant parts in botany, as well as metaphorically represent the core or main part of something in broader contexts.
When to use 莖
Be careful not to confuse 莖 (jīng) with other similar-sounding words, especially those with different tones. This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in scientific or educational discussions about botany.
莖 or something close to it
茎 (jīng) vs 干 (gān) — use 莖 (jīng) when specifically referring to the stem of a plant, while 干 (gān) can refer to a trunk or pole and is broader in application.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly write 莖 as 精 (jīng), which means 'essence' or 'refined'. Remember that 莖 has the radical for plants (艹) at the top, indicating its botanical meaning.
Write 莖
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Practice writing 莖 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 莖
Compound Meaning
What does 阴茎 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 莖
The pronunciation is jīng, with a high level tone.
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