圭 (guī) · jade tablet (ceremonial), sundial, a tiny amount

Measure Word

一块圭 kuài

Meanings

1 jade tablet (ceremonial)
2 sundial
3 a tiny amount

Characters

圭

guī

jade tablet; sundial

Examples

HSK 6

圭是古代测量日影的工具。

Guī shì gǔdài cèliáng rì yǐng de gōngjù.

The gui was an ancient tool for measuring sun shadows.

HSK 7-9

古代帝王手持圭参加典礼。

Gǔdài dìwáng shǒuchí guī cānjiā diǎnlǐ.

Ancient emperors held jade tablets at ceremonies.

Tips

history

圭 was a pointed jade tablet held by nobles during ceremonies in ancient China. Its shape and size indicated the holder's rank. Also used as a gnomon for sundials (日圭).

Components

radical

土 tǔ

earth; soil (top position)

Top 土 - the indexing earth radical, a pictograph of a clod of soil. The doubled 土 of 圭 originally pictured the layered jade tablet measured by clay impressions, but the radical is filed under earth because the ceremonial 圭 jade was used to mark off boundaries of land granted by the king to vassals.

semantic

土 tǔ

earth; soil (bottom position)

Bottom 土 - the same earth glyph repeated. Two stacked 土 depict the tapered jade scepter, pointed at top and squared at base, that ancient nobles held as a token of fief. The doubling lends the weight of a heavy ritual object - heavy enough to anchor a treaty between lord and vassal.