- 氵(water)RADICAL
- 尼(close; intimate)PHONO-SEMANTIC
Mud is earth mixed tightly with water, clinging to the soil like a nun stays close to the ground.
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泥菩萨过江，自身难保
泥菩萨过江，自身难保
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
2 meanings
MEANING2 meanings
MEANING
- 壹形adjective
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
- ，。
Now he's like a clay Buddha crossing the river, unable even to protect himself.
- 貳形adjective
unable to save oneself, let alone others
- ，。
He is like a clay Buddha crossing a river—he cannot even protect himself, let alone help others.
STROKE ORDER
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解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS- 自(nose (pictographic) → self; body)ASSOCIATIVE
Ancient people pointed to their nose when saying "I," so the character for nose also means self.
解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS- 又(hand; again)ASSOCIATIVE
- 隹(short-tailed bird)RADICAL
Catching a short-tailed bird in flight with bare hands is as difficult as the challenge this character represents.
泥菩萨过江，自身难保
Traditional泥菩薩過江，自身難保
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
2 meanings
MEANING2 meanings
MEANING
- 壹形adjective
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
- ，。
Now he's like a clay Buddha crossing the river, unable even to protect himself.
- 貳形adjective
unable to save oneself, let alone others
- ，。
He is like a clay Buddha crossing a river—he cannot even protect himself, let alone help others.
STROKE ORDER
Loading…
解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS- 氵(water)RADICAL
- 尼(close; intimate)PHONO-SEMANTIC
Mud is earth mixed tightly with water, clinging to the soil like a nun stays close to the ground.
解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS- 自(nose (pictographic) → self; body)ASSOCIATIVE
Ancient people pointed to their nose when saying "I," so the character for nose also means self.
解字
CHARACTER ANALYSIS- 又(hand; again)ASSOCIATIVE
- 隹(short-tailed bird)RADICAL
Catching a short-tailed bird in flight with bare hands is as difficult as the challenge this character represents.
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