簣 (kuì) - Basket for carrying earth — refers to a

簣Tone 4

kuì ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

簣 · kuì

Basket for carrying earth — refers to a type of bamboo basket used for carrying soil or earth, often in construction contexts.

Basket for carrying earth — refers to a

Usage highlights

One basket of earthFail for lack of one basketEarth basketBasket for carrying soil

Synonyms

  • 筐— basket, hamper
  • 籃— basket

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Workers carried earth in baskets (功亏一簣).
  • The construction site needed many baskets (一簣土).
  • Ancient laborers used bamboo baskets (土簣).

Collocations

  • One basket of earth(一簣土)
  • Fail for lack of one basket(功亏一簣)
  • Earth basket(土簣)
  • Basket for carrying soil(負土之簣)

Idioms

  • The work is abandoned for lack of one basket(功亏一簣)
  • Accumulating earth basket by basket(積土成山，功在一簣)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Derived from ancient Chinese construction and earthwork practices where bamboo baskets were essential tools.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing labor and perseverance in building projects.
  • Often used metaphorically to emphasize the importance of final effort in completing a task.

FAQ