棘 (jí) - thorn & thorny bushes

棘Tone 2

jí ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

棘 · jí

thorn;

thorny bushes;

brambles;

briars;

difficult;

problematic;

spiny;

prickly;

also refers to jujube trees.

thornthorny bushesbrambles

Usage highlights

thorny bushesdifficult problemthorny pathjujube treethorn fenceprickly situation

Synonyms

  • 荆— thorn; chaste tree (often paired with 棘)
  • 刺— thorn; sting; prick
  • 困难— difficulty; problem

Antonyms

  • 顺— smooth; favorable
  • 易— easy; simple

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The path was blocked by thorny bushes (荆棘).
  • This is a difficult problem (棘手的问题).
  • He encountered many obstacles (荆棘载途).
  • The jujube tree produces sweet fruit (枣棘).

Collocations

  • thorny bushes(荆棘)
  • difficult problem(棘手)
  • thorny path(棘途)
  • jujube tree(枣棘)
  • thorn fence(棘篱)
  • prickly situation(棘手的局面)

Idioms

  • Thorns in one's path(荆棘载途)
  • A difficult problem to handle(棘手)
  • Cutting through thorns and brambles(披荆斩棘)
  • Thorns and thistles(荆天棘地)
  • Entering a thorny bush(入棘)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, thorny bushes were used as natural barriers and fences around important places.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing difficult journeys or challenging situations.
  • Jujube trees (枣树) were historically important fruit trees in northern China.

FAQ