Dictionary › 阙

阙

quē

Character Traditional 闕

What 阙 means

1. used in place of 缺 (old)
2. mistake

Other readings

阙 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• quèImperial city watchtower (old); fault; deficiency
• Quèsurname Que

Example sentences

• 壮志饥餐胡虏肉，笑谈渴饮匈奴血。待从头、收拾旧山河，朝天阙。
  With lofty aspirations, we long to feast on the flesh of the Hu invaders when hungry, and drink the blood of the Xiongnu enemies with laughter when thirsty. Awaiting the day when we can reclaim the lost lands, and present ourselves at the imperial court.

Words starting with 阙

• 阙特勤Què tè qínKul Tigin or Kultegin (685–c. 731), general of the Second Turkic Khaganate

Words containing 阙

• 城阙chéng quèwatchtower on either side of a city gate; (literary) city; imperial palace
• 宫阙gōng quèpalace
• 金阙jīn quèthe imperial palace
• 诣阙yì què(old) to go to the palace to see the emperor; (old) to go to the capital
• 补阙bǔ quēold variant of 补缺

Characters that look like 阙

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 熊xióngbear; (colloquial) to scold; to rebuke; (colloquial) weak; incapable
• 阔kuòrich; wide; broad
• 舆yú(literary) chassis of a carriage…
• 煞shāto terminate; to cut short; to bring to a stop
• 阑lánrailing; balustrade; door-screen
• 鲔wěilittle tuna; Euthynnus alletteratus

Sounds the same

Read quē, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 缺deficiency; lack; scarce
• 炔alkyne; also pr. jué