靠

kào
#806 most
frequent character
lean
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

靠 joins 非, meaning to go against, with 告 gào, which supplies the sound. It first meant two things going against each other. The meaning grew to lean against, rely on, and stay near. The slang sense 'fuck' was borrowed only for its sound.

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Example Sentences

他靠在墙上休息。
tā kàozài qiáng shàng xiūxī 。
He leans against the wall to rest.
我喜欢靠在椅子上看书。
wǒ xǐhuān kàozài yǐzǐ shàng kànshū 。
I like to lean on the chair and read.
你可以靠这棵树。
nǐ kěyǐ kào zhè kē shù 。
You can lean against this tree.

Words with similar meanings

倚yǐ
to lean, to rest against
This word is often used in more literary or formal contexts compared to '靠'.
依yī
to depend on, to rely on
This can also imply leaning, but is more about dependence than physical leaning.

Words Starting With 靠

靠拢kào lǒng
to draw close to

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