指甲

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ jia

Meanings

  1. fingernail
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Characters in this entry

指
zhǐ · finger, toe; point, indicate
甲
jiǎ · armor, shell; fingernails; 1st heavenly stem
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–5 · zhi3 jia5

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi2 gaap3

Cantonese word readings for 指甲. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun · Etymology 1

  1. fingernail
  2. toenail

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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