靠 kào nearby
nearby; to lean against or on; to depend on
怎么记住“靠”: 告 to tell + 非 not = nearby. The lost tourist asks the waiter to tell him how far the beach is, and the waiter says, not impressed, "It's right nearby."
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
靠 = 告 to tell + 非 not
- 告 to tell sound
- 𠂒 cow
- 口 mouth
- 非 not meaning
The lost tourist asks the waiter to tell him how far the beach is, and the waiter says, not impressed, "It's right nearby."
How it came to be
The part for not gives the meaning and the top part the sound; at first it meant to be at odds.
用法
- Core verb meaning "to lean/rest against" or "to depend on": 靠窗的座位 (kào chuāng de zuòwèi) "the seat by the window," 靠自己 (kào zìjǐ) "rely on oneself."
- 可靠 kěkào is the adjective "reliable/trustworthy," and 依靠 yīkào is a more formal, weightier verb for depending on something essential, like family support.
- On its own as an exclamation, 靠! is a mild, casual swear (like "damn!") heard in spoken and internet Chinese, not textbook-formal.
含“靠”的词语
例句
- 知识要靠阅读来积累。 Zhīshi yào kào yuèdú lái jīlěi.Knowledge is accumulated by reading.