杞

Also used in place names and idioms.

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

木 (나무 목) — semantic component, indicating a plant or tree.

己 (몸 기) — phonetic component, providing the sound qǐ.

Thus, the character literally denotes a type of tree associated with the sound “기.”

枸杞 (구기) — goji plant or its fruit

杞人憂天 (기인우천) — “the man of Qi fears the sky will fall” — groundless anxiety

杞國 (기국) — the State of Qi (ancient Zhou vassal state)

杞憂 (기우) — baseless fear or needless worry (from 杞人憂天)

杞柳 (기류) — willow and goji trees, common shrubs

During the Zhou dynasty, 杞 was a small vassal state (present-day Henan province), said to have been founded by descendants of the Xia dynasty.

Its name became emblematic of insignificant yet historically noble kingdoms.

In Chinese medicine, 枸杞 (Lycium barbarum) is renowned for nourishing the liver and kidneys and improving eyesight.

Literary works often use 杞 as a symbol of longevity and vitality, contrasting with its idiomatic “fearful” connotation in 杞人憂天.

Idiom 杞人憂天 — “The Man of Qi Who Feared the Sky Would Fall”

A famous anecdote from Liezi (列子·天瑞篇) tells of a man from Qi (杞國) who feared that the sky might collapse and crush him.

The phrase 杞人憂天 (기인우천) has since symbolized groundless or excessive anxiety — worrying about things that need not be feared.

杞人憂天，不可救也。

“The man of Qi worried that the sky would fall — his worry could not be cured” — Liezi, Tian Rui chapter.

From this story, 杞憂 (기우) became a concise expression meaning “needless worry.”