蒂 (dì): stem (of a fruit)

Meanings

1 stem (of a fruit)
2 base; root
3 used in transliteration of foreign names

Characters

蒂

dì

stem; base of a fruit

Examples

把苹果的蒂去掉。

Bǎ píngguǒ de dì qùdiào.

Remove the stem of the apple.

这个问题的根蒂在哪里？

Zhège wèntí de gēn dì zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the root of this problem?

Tips

usage

蒂 is commonly seen in transliterations of foreign names, e.g. 蒂姆 (Tim), 肯尼迪 (Kennedy). As a standalone word it refers to the stem or calyx of a fruit.

Components

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant

Top grass radical (Kangxi #140 in its three-stroke compressed form) marks 蒂 as a plant-part noun. 蒂 specifically denotes the calyx and stem where a fruit attaches to its plant — the connecting node. Same radical anchors the botanical family 花 flower, 茎 stem, 根 root, 叶 leaf, 茶 tea.

phonetic

帝 dì

emperor

Right side 帝 supplies the sound — dì, an exact phonetic match. Historically 帝 was itself a pictograph of a flower's calyx and stem; ancients extended the image to 'the seat from which all rule springs' = emperor. So 蒂 is a near-redundant double-marking of 'flower calyx': 艹 + the original calyx picture.