鲠 (gěng) - Fish bone & bone stuck in throat

鲠Tone 3

gěng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

鲠 · gěng

Fish bone;

bone stuck in throat;

straightforward, honest, outspoken;

to have a bone stuck in one's throat.

Fish bonebone stuck in throatstraightforward, honest, outspoken

Usage highlights

Fish boneHonest and outspokenBone stuck in throatFrank adviceTo have a bone stuck in one's throatUpright and outspoken

Synonyms

  • 直— straightforward, honest
  • 耿— upright, honest
  • 正— upright, honest

Antonyms

  • 谄— flattering, sycophantic
  • 媚— fawning, ingratiating
  • 曲— crooked, dishonest

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He choked on a fish bone (鱼鲠).
  • She is known for her honest and outspoken nature (鲠直).
  • The bone was stuck in his throat (骨鲠在喉).
  • He offered a frank criticism (直言骨鲠).

Collocations

  • Fish bone(鱼鲠)
  • Honest and outspoken(鲠直)
  • Bone stuck in throat(骨鲠)
  • Frank advice(忠鲠)
  • To have a bone stuck in one's throat(如鲠在喉)
  • Upright and outspoken(刚鲠)

Idioms

  • To have a bone stuck in one's throat(如鲠在喉)
  • Outspoken and upright(骨鲠之臣)
  • Frank criticism(直言骨鲠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 鲠 originally referred to a fish bone, a common hazard when eating fish in Chinese cuisine.
  • It metaphorically represents honesty and outspokenness, as being unable to swallow a bone suggests an inability to suppress the truth.
  • The idiom '如鲠在喉' (like a bone stuck in the throat) vividly describes the discomfort of having something urgent to say but being unable to express it.

FAQ