黔 (qián): Guizhou Province (abbreviation)

Meanings

1 Guizhou Province (abbreviation)
2 black; to blacken

Characters

黔

qián

Guizhou; black

Examples

HSK 4

黔地的山水美极了。

Qián dì de shānshuǐ měi jí le.

Guizhou's mountain scenery is stunning.

HSK 7-9

本事用完，他便黔驴技穷了。

Běnshi yòng wán, tā biàn qiánlǘ-jìqióng 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.