顆 (kē) - Grain & kernel

顆Tone 1

kē ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

顆 · kē

Grain;

kernel;

small round object;

classifier for small round objects like pearls, beans, pills, teeth, and celestial bodies.

Grainkernelsmall round object

Usage highlights

A grainA beadA beanA bulletA heartA seed

Synonyms

  • 粒— Grain; pellet; also a classifier for small, granular objects

Antonyms

  • 块— Chunk; lump; classifier for bulky, irregular solids
  • 片— Slice; sheet; classifier for flat, thin objects

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A grain of rice (一颗米).
  • A pearl (一颗珍珠).
  • A tooth (一颗牙齿).
  • A pill (一颗药丸).
  • A star (一颗星星).

Collocations

  • A grain(一颗)
  • A bead(一颗珠子)
  • A bean(一颗豆子)
  • A bullet(一颗子弹)
  • A heart(一颗心)
  • A seed(一颗种子)

Idioms

  • Not a single grain remains(颗粒无存)
  • To return each grain(颗粒归仓)
  • Fine and smooth(颗粒细腻)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a small, round grain or the head, emphasizing its use as a classifier for small, round objects.
  • In traditional measurement, '颗' represented very small units, reflecting its granular semantic field.
  • Its use as a classifier for celestial bodies (e.g., stars) poetically connects the cosmic to the granular.

FAQ