甲骨

jiǎgǔ

noun

Measure Word

一片甲骨 piàn

Meanings

1 oracle bones
2 tortoise shells and animal bones

Characters

shell (of a tortoise)

Examples

HSK 5

博物馆里展出了一片商代的甲骨。

Bówùguǎn lǐ zhǎnchū le yí piàn Shāngdài de jiǎgǔ.

The museum is showing a piece of oracle bone from the Shang dynasty.

HSK 7-9

甲骨上刻的文字大多是占卜的记录。

Jiǎgǔ shàng kè de wénzì dàduō shì zhānbǔ de jìlù.

Most of the writing carved on oracle bones records divinations.

Tips

culture

The writing on them, 甲骨文 (oracle-bone script), is the oldest large body of Chinese writing. Most pieces come from 殷墟, the last Shang capital near Anyang in Henan, and were first recognized as writing in 1899.

Stroke Order

甲 jiǎ

骨 gǔ