歇

The Chinese character 歇 (xiē) is composed of two parts: the radical 欠 (qiàn) and the phonetic component 舌 (shé). The radical 欠 originally meant "to owe" or "to lack", and it is often used in characters related to rest or relaxation. The phonetic component 舌 represents the tongue, and it is used in characters related to speech or sound.The combination of these two components creates the character 歇, which means "to rest" or "to take a break". This character is often used in verbs that describe taking a break from work or activity, such as 休息 (xiūxi, to rest) or 歇息 (xiēxī, to take a break). It can also be used in nouns that refer to places where people can rest, such as 歇脚亭 (xiējiǎotíng, a rest stop) or 歇息处 (xiēxīchù, a resting place).In addition to its literal meaning of "to rest", the character 歇 can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "to stop" or "to cease". For example, the phrase 歇斯底里 (xiēsīdǐlǐ, hysterical) literally means "to stop thinking clearly", and it is used to describe someone who is in a state of extreme emotional distress.The character 歇 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a variety of contexts. Its etymology provides insight into its meaning and usage, and it is a valuable character for HSK learners to know.