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轲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
轲kēaxlex, 9 strokes, radical 车
轲kēgiven name of Menciusunknown, 9 strokes, radical 车
轲kěaxlex, 9 strokes, radical 车
轲kěgiven name of Menciusunknown, 9 strokes, radical 车
kē(Ke1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1axle
  2. 2given name of Mencius
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

轲(軻)kē(Ke1)

The character 轲 (kē) primarily refers to an axle, a crucial component in vehicles that allows wheels to rotate. It can also appear in historical contexts, notably as part of the name of the philosopher Mencius. In modern usage, 轲 is not commonly used and is often seen in literary or historical references.

Strokes9Radical车
Cultural Note

The character 轲 is related to Mencius, a significant figure in Confucian philosophy, emphasizing the importance of moral integrity and education in Chinese culture. His teachings often reflect the values of righteousness and virtue, which are central to Chinese societal norms.

Memory Tip

Imagine the character 轲 as a wheel (represented by the radical 車) turning on an axle (the horizontal line in the middle). Picture a cart rolling smoothly along a path, which helps you remember that 轲 means axle and sounds like 'kē'.

Meanings of 轲

kē(Ke1)
primary
1axle
2given name of Mencius
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 轲

轲Simplified
軻Traditional
9Strokes
车Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 轲

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Podcast: 轲

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AI Study Notes for 轲

Usage Notes

While 轲 is not frequently used in everyday conversation, it may appear in classical texts or discussions about Mencius. Be mindful of its formal tone and avoid using it in casual contexts. The character is often mistakenly used interchangeably with similar characters; remember it specifically refers to the axle.

HSK Study Tips

Although 轲 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your grasp of literary texts. Focus on recognizing its components and connections to other characters related to vehicles or historical figures, as this will deepen your comprehension of classical Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 轲 with other similar characters due to its uncommon usage. For example, mistakenly using 轲 (kē) instead of 车 (chē) for vehicle can lead to misunderstandings; remember that 轲 specifically refers to an axle.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 轲

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Etymology of 轲

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

wheel

Semantic (meaning)车
+
Phonetic (sound)可
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 轲

  1. 1The meaning half车 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half可 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywheel
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 轲? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 轲?

Decomposition of 轲

IDS Structure⿰车可
轲Full Character
=
车Che1
left
可ke3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 轲?

How to say axle in Chinese

“axle” in Chinese is轲kē

The character 轲 (kē) primarily refers to an axle, a crucial component in vehicles that allows wheels to rotate. It can also appear in historical contexts, notably as part of the name of the philosopher Mencius. In modern usage, 轲 is not commonly used and is often seen in literary or historical references.

When to use 轲

While 轲 is not frequently used in everyday conversation, it may appear in classical texts or discussions about Mencius. Be mindful of its formal tone and avoid using it in casual contexts. The character is often mistakenly used interchangeably with similar characters; remember it specifically refers to the axle.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 轲 with other similar characters due to its uncommon usage. For example, mistakenly using 轲 (kē) instead of 车 (chē) for vehicle can lead to misunderstandings; remember that 轲 specifically refers to an axle.

Write 轲

轲

Practice writing 轲 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 轲

Words Containing This Character3
荆轲Jing Ke (-227 BC), celebrated in verse and fiction as would-be assassin of King Ying Zheng of Qin 秦嬴政 (later the First Emperor 秦始皇)荊軻
轲kēgiven name of Mencius軻
孟轲Mencius 孟子 (c. 372-c. 289), Confucian philosopher孟軻
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 荆轲 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 轲

In modern Chinese, 轲 primarily refers to an axle, though it is not commonly used in everyday language.

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