Definition
This character is a bound morpheme (不能单独使用) mainly pronounced kuò in standard Mandarin, but the row gives guā. The guā reading appears in words like 挺括 ('neat and crisp', of fabric) and 括约肌 ('sphincter'), and regionally in 括弧 for 'brackets'. Its major meanings are 'to include/comprise' (in 包括, 概括), 'to bracket/enclose' (in 括号, 括起来), and 'to tighten/tie up'. As a learner, focus on the common compounds; the guā pronunciation is less frequent.
char.
(bound form) to includeto comprise(bound form) to bracketto enclose(bound form) to tightento tie up
Examples
- 括。Zhè jiàn chènshān hěn tǐng guā.This shirt is very crisp and neat.
- 括。Qǐng bǎ shéngzi guā jǐn.Please tighten the rope.
- ，‘’。Zài yīxué shàng, ‘guā yuē jī’ shì yí gè zhòngyào gàiniàn.In medicine, the 'sphincter' is an important concept.
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