noun / verb HSK 4
nucleus · core · pit · stone (of fruit) · nuclear · to check · to verify
Meaning
核 originally refers to the hard seed or pit inside a fruit. It extends to mean the central or essential part of anything, including the nucleus of cells or atoms. As a verb, it means to examine or verify something carefully.
Usage
Commonly used in scientific contexts (核能 'nuclear energy', 核心 'core'), everyday contexts for fruit pits (果核), and formal/business settings meaning to verify or audit (核查, 核实). The nuclear meaning became prominent in modern Chinese after Western scientific terms were introduced.
Examples
- 01这个桃子的核很大。.This peach has a very large pit.
- 02请核实一下这些数据是否准确。.Please verify whether these data are accurate.
Measure words
- 个一个核
- 颗一颗果核
Common collocations
- 核武器nuclear weapon
- 核对to check against, to verify
- 果核fruit pit/stone
- 核算to calculate, to audit accounts
Antonyms
Origin
Oracle bone script shows a tree (木) with something in the center, representing the hard seed inside a fruit. The character combines 木 (wood/tree) with a phonetic component.