剴 (kǎi) - Kǎi — to sharpen & to be thorough and sincere

剴Tone 3

kǎi ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

剴 · kǎi

Kǎi — to sharpen;

to be thorough and sincere;

fitting, appropriate;

to admonish earnestly.

Kǎi — to sharpento be thorough and sincerefitting, appropriate

Usage highlights

earnest advicethorough criticismsincere admonitionfitting wordsto sharpen weapons

Synonyms

  • 切— to cut; urgent, close-fitting (in the sense of earnest/appropriate)
  • 恳— sincere, earnest
  • 砺— to sharpen (as with a whetstone)

Antonyms

  • 钝— blunt, dull
  • 虚— false, insincere

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He gave earnest advice (剴切地劝告).
  • The criticism was thorough and fitting (剴切的批评).
  • She spoke with sincere admonition (剴切地告诫).

Collocations

  • earnest advice(剴切劝告)
  • thorough criticism(剴切批评)
  • sincere admonition(剴切告诫)
  • fitting words(剴切之言)
  • to sharpen weapons(剴砺兵器)

Idioms

  • To admonish earnestly and guide appropriately(剴切教导)
  • Thorough and fitting advice(剴切之论)
  • To speak with sincerity and appropriateness(剴切陈词)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to sharpen' (as with a whetstone), extended metaphorically to mean 'thorough' or 'appropriate'.
  • Used in classical texts to describe earnest, sincere admonition or advice that is fitting to the situation.
  • The character appears in formal, literary contexts rather than everyday speech.

FAQ