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垓 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
垓gāiborder, boundary, frontierg, 9 strokes, radical 土
gāi(gai1) T1
  1. 1border, boundary, frontier
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

垓gāi(gai1)

The character 垓 (gāi) refers to a boundary or border, particularly in a geographical or spatial context. It can denote the limits of a region or territory, often used in discussions about land and property.

Strokes9Radical土
Cultural Note

In ancient China, boundaries were significant for land ownership and governance, with clear demarcations between territories often impacting social and political relations. This character also appears in classical poetry and texts discussing the natural landscape.

Memory Tip

Imagine the character 垓 as a 'guy' (gāi) standing at the edge of a cliff, looking out over the boundary of his land. The top of the character resembles the ground ('土', meaning earth) with a boundary marker ('𠂇') indicating his territory.

Meanings of 垓

gāi(gai1)
1border, boundary, frontier
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 垓

垓Simplified
9Strokes
土Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 垓

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Podcast: 垓

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 垓

Usage Notes

This character is not frequently used in everyday conversation, making it more common in written texts or formal contexts. Learners should also be aware that it can be confused with similar characters, especially in pronunciation and form.

HSK Study Tips

While 垓 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to other words about land and boundaries, such as 地 (dì, ground) and 境 (jìng, boundary). Focus on recognizing its use in literary or historical texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 垓 with similar characters like 界 (jiè), which also means boundary but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我有一个垓' instead of '我有一个界' (I have a boundary) would be incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 垓

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Etymology of 垓

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

earth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 垓

  1. 1The meaning half土 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half亥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayearth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 垓? 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 垓?

Decomposition of 垓

IDS Structure⿰土亥
垓Full Character
=
土Tu3
left
亥hai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 垓?

How to say border, boundary, frontier in Chinese

“border, boundary, frontier” in Chinese is垓gāi

The character 垓 (gāi) refers to a boundary or border, particularly in a geographical or spatial context. It can denote the limits of a region or territory, often used in discussions about land and property.

When to use 垓

This character is not frequently used in everyday conversation, making it more common in written texts or formal contexts. Learners should also be aware that it can be confused with similar characters, especially in pronunciation and form.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 垓 with similar characters like 界 (jiè), which also means boundary but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我有一个垓' instead of '我有一个界' (I have a boundary) would be incorrect.

Write 垓

垓

Practice writing 垓 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 垓

Words Containing This Character2
垓gāiboundary
垓下ancient place name, in Anhui province
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 垓 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 垓

It is pronounced as 'gāi' with a high-level tone.

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