黔 (qián): Guizhou Province (abbreviation)

Meanings

1 Guizhou Province (abbreviation)
2 black; to blacken

Characters

黔

qián

Guizhou; black

Examples

黔地的山水美极了。

Qián dì de shānshuǐ měi jí le.

Guizhou's mountain scenery is stunning.

本事用完，他便黔驴技穷了。

Běnshi yòng wán, tā biàn qiánlǘjìqióng le.

Once his tricks ran out, he was at his wits' end.

Tips

culture

黔 is the one-character abbreviation for Guizhou, seen on license plates and in news. The idiom 黔驴技穷 ('the Guizhou donkey has run out of tricks') comes from a Tang fable: a tiger, after testing a donkey, finds it can only kick, then eats it — used for someone whose limited skills are exhausted.

Components

radical

黑 hēi

black

The black radical on the left. It carries the original meaning: the character first meant 'black' — the common people were once called 黔首, the 'black-headed ones.' Guizhou's abbreviation grew from this character's historical use.

phonetic

今 jīn

phonetic component

Supplies the sound (jīn shifting to qián). It works purely as a pronunciation marker; the same element appears in 黔 and 矜 with related readings.