靠 (kào) · to lean on, to depend on, to be near

Meanings

1 to lean on
2 to depend on
3 to be near

Characters

靠

kào

to lean on; to rely on; near

Examples

HSK 3

我们不能靠别人。

Wǒmen bùnéng kào biérén.

We can't depend on others.

HSK 4

靠窗的座位已经没有了。

Kàochuāng de zuòwèi yǐjīng méiyǒu le.

The window seats are all taken.

HSK 5

他靠在墙上休息。

Tā kào zài qiángshàng xiūxi.

He leaned against the wall to rest.

Tips

usage

靠 has three common uses: physical leaning (靠在椅子上), depending on someone (靠父母), and being near something (靠近).

memory

Think of leaning on something for support - that's the core image of 靠.

Components

radical

非 fēi

not; wrong; opposite

Bottom 非 (Kangxi #175) - the indexing radical, originally a pictograph of two opposed wings spreading sideways. The 'two backs leaning against each other' imagery is the semantic key: 靠 is to lean on, depend on, be next to (依靠 rely on, 靠近 close to, 可靠 reliable). One of the rarer Kangxi radicals.

phonetic

告 gào

to tell; announce

Top phonetic 告 (gào) - supplies the sound, shifting to kào through the velar series. Same phonetic in 浩 (hào vast), 皓 (hào bright), 造 (zào make). Standalone 告 means 'to announce, inform' - purely phonetic in 靠, no semantic carryover.