翕 (xī) · to close up; draw together

Meanings

1 to close up; draw together
2 harmonious; in accord

Characters

翕

xī

to close up; harmonious

Examples

HSK 7-9

将欲翕之，必固张之。

Jiāng yù xī zhī, bì gù zhāng zhī.

What you wish to draw in, you must first stretch out.

Tips

history

翕 is not used independently in modern Chinese. It meant to fold or close up (as wings), and by extension harmonious; it survives in literary words like 翕动 (to twitch open and shut) and 翕然 (unanimously).

register

Literary; appears in classical philosophy and bound compounds, not in everyday speech.

Components

radical

羽 yǔ

feathers; wings

羽 (feathers) is the radical, picturing wings folding closed against the body - the original image of drawing together.

phonetic

合 hé

to close; join

合 supplies the sound, drifting from 合 to 翕; its closing / joining sense also reinforces the meaning of folding shut.

Stroke Order

翕 xī

Related Words

凑 còu HSK 7-9 #5,498

to gather together / to collect / to piece together / to move close to

和 hé HSK 1 #33

and; together with; with / harmony; peace / sum (math) / to make peace; to settle / to draw; to tie (sports) / harmonious / Japan; Japanese

共度 gòngdù #4,741

to spend (time) together / to go through together

斗 dòu HSK 7-9 #2,761

to fight; to struggle / to contend; to compete / to condemn; to censure (esp. in political struggle sessions) / to put together; to come together

关闭 guānbì HSK 5 #2,087

to close; to shut / to shut down; to close down

合 hé HSK 5 #1,830

to close; to shut / to join; to combine; to merge / to fit; to suit; to agree with / to be equal to; to add up to / whole; entire; together / round (of a contest or battle)

靠近 kàojìn HSK 5 #1,711

to be close to / to approach / to draw near

接近 jiējìn HSK 5 #1,353

to approach; to get close to / close to; nearly

聚会 jùhuì HSK 4 #1,302

party; gathering; get-together / to get together; to meet up

靠拢 kàolǒng HSK 7-9 #20,591

to draw close / to close in on / to come together