卻

Phono-semantic compound:

卩 (병부 절) — semantic element, depicting a kneeling figure or seal, suggesting formality, restraint, or cessation.

𧮫 (웃을 갹) — phonetic element (⿱仌口), providing the sound què and connoting a vocal expression or utterance.

In Small Seal Script (小篆), the form still contained 𧮫 on top of 卩, symbolizing “to utter and withdraw” or “to retreat with a sound.”

During the transition to Clerical Script (隸書 lìshū), the phonetic component 𧮫 was simplified into 去, resulting in the modern form 卻.

退卻 (퇴각) — retreat, withdrawal

拒卻 (거각) — to reject, to repel

推卻 (추각) — to decline, to excuse oneself

卻步 (각보) — to step back, to recoil

卻說 (각설) — “however, let us return to the story” (common in classical Chinese narrative)

卻不 (각불) — yet not; however, not (used in contrast)

In Classical and Literary Chinese, 卻 functions like “yet / however”, often indicating reversal or contrast, similar to 然而 (however) or 但 (but) in modern Chinese.

Example:

欲進卻退 — “He wished to advance, yet withdrew.”

Korean hanja vocabulary retains the original physical sense of “to repel”, as in:

퇴각 (退卻) — military retreat

거각 (拒卻) — rejection or repulsion

In Japanese, 却 (simplified in Shinjitai) also means “however,” “instead,” or “to repel,” and is read as kyaku or keru (in compounds like 却下 “rejection”).

In the Simplified Chinese reform, 卻 → 却 (U+5374), removing the right-side radical’s complexity but preserving pronunciation and meaning.

Korea and Japan continue to use the traditional form 卻, whereas mainland China uses 却.