棘 jí thorny
thorny; jujube tree; thorns; brambles
How to remember 棘: 朿 thorn + 朿 thorn = thorny. Picking blackberries, the girl gets one thorn in her thumb and another thorn in her sleeve, and decides the bush is far too thorny.
Component breakdown
棘 = 朿 thorn + 朿 thorn
- 朿 thorn
- 朿 thorn
Picking blackberries, the girl gets one thorn in her thumb and another thorn in her sleeve, and decides the bush is far too thorny.
How it is used
- Thorns/brambles - 荆棘 (jīngjí) thistles and thorns, a metaphor for obstacles on a path.
- 棘手 (jíshǒu), 'thorny to the hand', is the common word for a knotty, difficult-to-handle problem: 这件事很棘手 (zhè jiàn shì hěn jíshǒu) this matter is a real headache.