(kuí) - Kui — a legendary one-legged mountain demon or & also refers to a type of dragon.

Tone 2

kuí | 24 strokes | radical:

· kuí

Kui — a legendary one-legged mountain demon or monster in Chinese mythology;

also refers to a type of dragon.

Kui — a legendary one-legged mountain demon oralso refers to a type of dragon.

Usage highlights

Kui monsterKui dragonKui patternmountain KuiKui oxKui drum

Synonyms

  • 夔龙Kui dragon (mythical creature)
  • 山鬼mountain ghost/spirit (similar mythical being)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The Kui is a mythical one-legged creature (夔).
  • Ancient texts describe Kui as a mountain demon (山夔).
  • Kui patterns appear on ancient bronze vessels (夔纹).
  • The Kui dragon was said to create thunder (夔龙).

Collocations

  • Kui monster(夔兽)
  • Kui dragon(夔龙)
  • Kui pattern(夔纹)
  • mountain Kui(山夔)
  • Kui ox(夔牛)
  • Kui drum(夔鼓)

Idioms

  • One Kui is enough(一夔已足)
  • Kui arouses waves(夔起涟漪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in ancient Chinese texts like 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' (山海经) as a one-legged mythical beast.
  • Kui patterns were commonly used in Shang and Zhou dynasty bronze decorations.
  • In later mythology, Kui was sometimes conflated with dragon imagery.

FAQ