Chinese Character: 葛
1. Character Basics
Radical: 艸 (cǎo, grass, indicates related to plants)
Stroke Count: 12
Structure Analysis: Up-down structure, with '艸' (grass) as the semantic component and '曷' (hé, what) as the phonetic component. Originally referred to a type of climbing plant, later also used as a surname.
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Gě (Third tone) or Gé (Second tone)
Note: When used as a surname, it is pronounced as Gě (Third tone); when referring to the plant or in compound words, it is often pronounced as Gé (Second tone).
3. Meaning
Core Meaning: Arrowroot; kudzu; a type of climbing plant; surname
Detailed Explanation: '葛' primarily refers to a type of climbing plant (Pueraria lobata) known as kudzu in English, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and for making textiles since ancient times. It is also a common Chinese surname, pronounced as Gě.
4. Common Words
- 葛藤 (gé téng): Kudzu vine
葛藤是一种生命力很强的植物。 (Gé téng shì yī zhǒng shēngmìnglì hěn qiáng de zhíwù.) - Kudzu is a plant with very strong vitality.
- 葛布 (gé bù): Kudzu cloth
古代中国人用葛布做衣服。 (Gǔdài Zhōngguó rén yòng gé bù zuò yīfu.) - Ancient Chinese people used kudzu cloth to make clothes.
- 葛根 (gé gēn): Kudzu root
葛根是一种常用的中药材。 (Gé gēn shì yī zhǒng chángyòng de zhōngyàocái.) - Kudzu root is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine.
- 姓葛 (xìng Gě): Surname Ge
他姓葛，是我的同事。 (Tā xìng Gě, shì wǒ de tóngshì.) - His surname is Ge, and he is my colleague.
- 葛衣 (gé yī): Kudzu fiber clothing
夏天穿葛衣很凉爽。 (Xiàtiān chuān gé yī hěn liángshuǎng.) - Wearing kudzu clothing in summer is very cool.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Mainly used as a noun.
Usage Patterns:
- Referring to the plant: 葛藤 (kudzu vine), 葛根 (kudzu root)
- Referring to textiles made from the plant: 葛布 (kudzu cloth), 葛衣 (kudzu clothing)
- As a surname: 姓葛 (surname Ge)
Common Collocations:
- 葛藤 (gé téng): Kudzu vine
- 葛根 (gé gēn): Kudzu root
- 葛布 (gé bù): Kudzu cloth
- 葛衣 (gé yī): Kudzu clothing
- 葛粉 (gé fěn): Kudzu powder
6. Cultural Background
'葛' has a long history in Chinese culture, closely related to daily life and medicine.
Historical Significance: In ancient China, '葛' was one of the earliest plants used for making textiles. The Book of Songs (《诗经》) mentions '葛' as an important material for clothing production.
Traditional Medicine: Kudzu root (葛根) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat various ailments, including fevers, headaches, and alcohol intoxication.
Cultural Symbolism: '葛' is associated with simplicity and naturalness in Chinese culture. The surname Ge is also an ancient one, with a history dating back over 2,000 years.
Modern Relevance: Today, kudzu is still used in traditional Chinese medicine and has gained attention worldwide for its potential health benefits. The surname Ge remains common in China.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1:
葛根茶有清热解毒的功效。 (Gé gēn chá yǒu qīngrè jiědú de gōngxiào.) - Kudzu root tea has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.
Example 2:
葛藤生长得很快，能覆盖大片土地。 (Gé téng shēngzhǎng de hěn kuài, néng fùgài dàpiàn tǔdì.) - Kudzu vines grow very fast and can cover large areas of land.
Example 3:
诸葛亮是中国历史上著名的政治家和军事家。 (Zhūgě Liàng shì Zhōngguó lìshǐ shàng zhùmíng de zhèngzhìjiā hé jūnshìjiā.) - Zhuge Liang was a famous statesman and military strategist in Chinese history.
8. Memory Tips
Component Breakdown: '葛' consists of '艸' (cǎo, grass) on the top and '曷' (hé, what) on the bottom. '艸' indicates the semantic connection to plants, while '曷' provides the pronunciation hint.
Visual Association: Imagine a climbing plant with large leaves and vines, which relates to the original meaning of '葛' as a type of plant.
Word Family: Learn words related to '葛' to reinforce your memory:
- 葛藤 (gé téng): Kudzu vine
- 葛根 (gé gēn): Kudzu root
- 葛布 (gé bù): Kudzu cloth
- 葛衣 (gé yī): Kudzu clothing
- 葛粉 (gé fěn): Kudzu powder
Memory Phrase: "葛藤爬满墙，葛根可入药" (Gé téng pá mǎn qiáng, gé gēn kě rù yào) - "Kudzu vines climb all over the wall, and kudzu roots can be used as medicine"