甲 (jiǎ) - First of the ten Heavenly Stems & armor

甲Tone 3

jiǎ ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 田

嘉健

甲 · jiǎ

First of the ten Heavenly Stems;

armor;

shell;

first;

grade A;

used in various compound words.

First of the ten Heavenly Stemsarmorshell

Usage highlights

Grade AArmorNailTurtle shellFirst editionHeavenly Stems

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 乙— second (of the Heavenly Stems)
  • 末— last

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He got an A grade (甲等).
  • The turtle has a hard shell (龟甲).
  • This is the first edition (甲版).
  • Soldiers wore armor (盔甲).

Collocations

  • Grade A(甲等)
  • Armor(盔甲)
  • Nail(指甲)
  • Turtle shell(龟甲)
  • First edition(甲版)
  • Heavenly Stems(天干)

Idioms

  • Armor fully arrayed(甲胄在身)
  • To discard armor and drag weapons(丢盔弃甲)
  • To be armed to the teeth(披甲执锐)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • First of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干) in the traditional Chinese calendar system.
  • Historically used to denote the highest rank or quality (e.g., in examinations).
  • Associated with protection and strength due to its meaning of armor/shell.

FAQ