渴

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 渴 (kě) for "thirsty" is composed of two parts: the radical 口 (kǒu) for "mouth" and the phonetic component 禾 (hé) for "rice plant". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "a mouth that is dry and in need of water", which is the essence of the meaning of "thirsty".The character 渴 has a long history in Chinese writing, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). In this early form, the character was written as a combination of the mouth radical and a symbol representing a person with their mouth open and their tongue hanging out, further emphasizing the idea of thirst.Over time, the character 渴 underwent various changes in its form, but its basic structure and meaning remained the same. In modern Chinese, it is commonly used to express the feeling of thirst or the desire for a drink, and it can also be used metaphorically to refer to a longing or craving for something.