靠
to lean against or on; to stand by the side of; to come near to; to depend on; to trust; to fuck (vulgar); traditional military costume drama where the performers wear armor (old)
Closest English meanings
lean·depend·rely
The Calligrapher — Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿
Tang master of robust regular script; co-creator of the enduring 'Yan style'.
Tang calligrapher (709–784), master of regular script/running script — the Tang moral paragon whose upright, muscular regular script became the model of Chinese integrity in writing. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
The Grand Canal carried grain boats that 靠岸 at every wharf from Hangzhou to the capital, the 靠近 of hull to stone a small, daily event the whole realm depended on. A village that 靠山 ate from the slope, and a household that 依靠 its kin weathered the lean year. To write 靠 was to admit that nothing stands alone, everything leans on something solid.
Common words & phrases
- 依靠 rely on
- 靠山 backer · supporter
- 靠近 near · approach
- 可靠 reliable
- 靠岸 reach shore
Read the story behind the character
A commuter waits where the line 靠近 the station and checks that the 可靠 signal still shows green. The app says the next train is 依靠 the southern track, and he leans on the rail. A vendor jokes that his 靠山 is the morning crowd, the 靠近 of regulars what keeps the stall open through the slow hours.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.