磬 (qìng) - Qing — a chime stone, a type of & to exhaust, to use up

磬Tone 4

qìng ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

磬 · qìng

Qing — a chime stone, a type of ancient Chinese percussion instrument made of jade or stone;

to exhaust, to use up;

to bow.

Qing — a chime stone, a type ofto exhaust, to use upto bow.

Usage highlights

Stone chimeJade chimeBell and chimeStrike the chimeChime musicExhausted supplies

Synonyms

  • 罄— to use up, to exhaust (shares sound and meaning)
  • 钟— bell (another ritual percussion instrument)

Antonyms

  • 盈— full, abundant (antonym to the 'exhausted' sense)
  • 余— surplus, remainder (opposite of exhausted)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The musician struck the qing stone chime (击磬).
  • Ancient Chinese ritual music used qing instruments (磬乐).
  • The temple bell and stone chime sounded together (钟磬齐鸣).
  • Their food supplies were exhausted (告罄).

Collocations

  • Stone chime(石磬)
  • Jade chime(玉磬)
  • Bell and chime(钟磬)
  • Strike the chime(击磬)
  • Chime music(磬乐)
  • Exhausted supplies(告罄)

Idioms

  • The bell sounds and the chime echoes(钟鸣磬应)
  • Exhausted and depleted(磬竭)
  • The room is empty and silent(室如悬磬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the oldest Chinese musical instruments, dating back to the Shang Dynasty, used in court rituals and temple ceremonies.
  • The character combines 'stone' (石) and 'strike/sound' (殳), indicating its function as a struck stone instrument.
  • In Buddhist context, the qing is used to mark time during chanting and meditation.
  • The extended meaning 'to exhaust' comes from the character's homophonic relationship with 罄 (to use up).

FAQ