kuà
step; stride; straddle
我跨过这条河。
wǒ kuàguò zhè tiáo hé.
I crossed the river.
他跨上马背。
tā kuàshàng mǎbèi.
He mounted the horse.
我们跨越了重重困难。
wǒmen kuàyuè le chóngchóng kùnnan.
We overcame many difficulties.
蹲 (dūn)
crouch
坐 (zuò)
sit
The Chinese character 跨 (kuà) is composed of two parts: the radical 辵 (chuò), which represents walking or movement, and the phonetic component 夸 (kuā), which represents boasting or bragging. The original meaning of 跨 was "to step over" or "to stride", which is related to the idea of movement implied by the radical 辵. Over time, the meaning of 跨 expanded to include the idea of "to straddle" or "to mount", as well as the figurative sense of "to surpass" or "to excel". The phonetic component 夸 also contributes to the meaning of 跨, as it suggests the idea of "boasting" or "exaggerating", which can be related to the sense of "surpassing" or "excelling".In modern Chinese, 跨 is commonly used in a variety of contexts. It can be used as a verb to mean "to step over", "to stride", "to straddle", or "to mount". For example, the sentence "他跨过小溪" means "He stepped over the stream". It can also be used as a noun to mean "a step", "a stride", or "a span". For example, the sentence "他走了一大跨" means "He took a big step". Additionally, 跨 can be used in a figurative sense to mean "to surpass" or "to excel". For example, the sentence "他跨越了重重困难" means "He overcame many difficulties".Overall, the etymology of the Chinese character 跨 provides insights into its meaning and usage. The combination of the radical 辵 and the phonetic component 夸 suggests the idea of movement, stepping over, and surpassing, which are all reflected in the various meanings and applications of this character in modern Chinese.
Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.
Get Started Free