Meanings of 厶
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About 厶
Podcast: 厶
Podcast: 厶
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AI Study Notes for 厶
Learners often confuse 厶 with the more commonly used 私 and 某. It's important to note that 厶 is rarely used in modern Mandarin, making it a more formal or literary term. When using it, ensure the context supports its nuanced meaning of secrecy or privacy.
As this character is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners should recognize it primarily in historical texts or literature. Focus on understanding its relation to the more common words 私 and 某, as they share similar meanings and contexts.
Learners may mistakenly use 厶 interchangeably with 私 without recognizing its archaic status. For example, saying '我有一个厶的事情' (I have a private matter) is incorrect; instead, use 私: '我有一个私的事情.'
Pronunciation of 厶
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Etymology of 厶
A small circle depicting personal space or things revolving around oneself. Original form of 私.
A silk cocoon
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 厶
A small circle depicting personal space or things revolving around oneself. Original form of 私.
- 1The giveawayA silk cocoon
- 2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 厶? 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
What type of character formation is 厶?
How to say private, secret in Chinese
“private, secret” in Chinese is厶
The character 厶 (mǒu) denotes the idea of being private or secret. It is an archaic variant of the character 私 (sī), which also means 'private,' and 某 (mǒu), meaning 'certain' or 'some.' It is primarily used in historical or literary contexts rather than in everyday conversation.
When to use 厶
Learners often confuse 厶 with the more commonly used 私 and 某. It's important to note that 厶 is rarely used in modern Mandarin, making it a more formal or literary term. When using it, ensure the context supports its nuanced meaning of secrecy or privacy.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 厶 interchangeably with 私 without recognizing its archaic status. For example, saying '我有一个厶的事情' (I have a private matter) is incorrect; instead, use 私: '我有一个私的事情.'
Write 厶
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Practice writing 厶 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 厶
Compound Meaning
What does 厶 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 厶
No, 厶 is an archaic character and is rarely used in contemporary speech.
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