ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
贵
expensive; honored
guì
9 strokes · 贝 (shell/money radical) beneath — value carried in cowries · HSK 2
贵 in traditional Chinese
貴
What 贵 is made of
中 + 一 + 贝 = 贵
中middle / center / China zhōng 贝shell / money
Where 贵 comes from
贵 stands on 贝, the cowrie shell that was ancient China's money. What cost many shells was 贵 — and what cost shells to honor was also 贵: expense and esteem sharing one character.
贵 in Chinese culture
您贵姓? 'your honored surname?' is the polite way to ask a name — expensive words for respected people. 贵人 is a benefactor who changes your luck. Haggling begins with 太贵了! 'too expensive!' — the four most-used syllables in any Chinese market.
Example
太贵 tài guì — too expensive
这件衣服太贵了。
Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le.
This piece of clothing is too expensive.
How to remember it
A pile of money-shells 贝 — EXPENSIVE, and therefore HONORED.
贵姓 'expensive surname' for 'your name, please' shows Chinese courtesy logic: everything of yours is elevated, everything of mine is humble — my surname is answered with a plain 我姓...
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 贵
太贵了 tài guì le
too expensive!
您贵姓? Nín guìxìng?
your honored surname?
贵人 guìrén
benefactor
Related characters
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