機
부수: 木
획수: 16획
機 has the meanings crucial point, opportunity, mechanism, machine and aeroplane.
機 = 木 + 幾
X = semantic + semantic/phonetic
• 木 depicts a tree and means ‘wood’. This represents ‘a wooden instrument’.
• 幾 is suggested to depict a person tied up (explained below) and this represents the meaning ‘great danger’.
Combined, 機 represents ‘a crossbow trigger mechanism‘.
Evolution:
機 = a crossbow trigger mechanism ➔ crucial point ➔ opportunity
機 = a crossbow trigger mechanism ➔ machine ➔ aeroplane
幾 = 𢆶 + 戈 + 人
• 𢆶 depicts silk threads.
• 戈 depicts a spear.
• 人 depicts a person
Combined, 幾 represents a person 人 tied up in silk robes 𢆶 being cut by a spear 戈. This represents the meaning ‘great danger’.
Mnemonic
Imagine two soldiers squared off with each other. One soldier 人 is armed with a halberd (spear) 戈, and the other has a crossbow 木. The crossbowman knows he has the advantage of distance and is motivated 動機 to seize this opportunity 機會 and strike first. He pulls the trigger and fires the bolt from the bowstring 𢆶.
Vocab
| 危機 | 위기 | crisis; emergency |
| 機構 | 기구 | organization |
| 機密 | 기밀 | top secret |
| 機會 | 기회 | chance; opportunity |
| 契機 | 계기 | opportunity; chance |
| 時機 | 시기 | opportunity; chance; time |
| 動機 | 동기 | motive |
| 投機 | 투기 | speculation |
| 轉機 | 전기 | turning point |
| 機動 | 기동 | maneuver |
| 待機 | 대기 | waiting for an opportunity |
| 機能 | 기능 | function; role |
| 機關 | 기관 | engine; institution |
| 有機 | 유기 | organic |
| 機械 | 기계 | machinery |
| 計算機 | 계산기 | calculator |
| 扇風機 | 선풍기 | fan |
| 洗濯機 | 세탁기 | washing machine |
| 機關銃 | 기관총 | machine gun |
| 飛行機 | 비행기 | aeroplane |
| 헬機 | 헬기 | helicopter |
| 機種 | 기종 | kinds of aeroplanes |
| 機內 | 기내 | plane cabin |
Additional notes
Interpretations of 機 vary among scholars. Some take 幾 to represent a loom (that is, ‘a device to control threads’).
Other resources
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Bibliography
Affiliate links help support uK.
— Daum 사전, [s.v. 機].
— Grant, B.K. (1982). A Guide To Korean Characters: Reading and Writing Hangul and Hanja, [s.v. 1579]. Seoul: Hollym.
— Outlier Dictionary of Chinese Characters, [s.v. 機, 木, 幾, 戈, 人].
— Seely, C., Henshall, K.G., & Fan, J. (2016). The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji: Remembering and Understanding the 2,136 Standard Japanese Characters, [s.v. 476]. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing.