甲

• Pinyin: jiǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 甲 = pictograph of armor/shell or sprouting seed, representing the first in sequence

Meaning

First; Party A; shell/armor; fingernail. The first in a sequence.

Has multiple uses: as the first of the Heavenly Stems, meaning 'first' or 'Party A' in contracts (甲方). Also means shell, armor, or fingernail (指甲). In grading, 甲 represents the top grade.

Examples

1. 合同上写明甲方负责提供场地，乙方负责运营。 The contract specifies that Party A is responsible for providing the venue and Party B for operations.
2. 指甲长了要及时剪掉，保持手部卫生。 When fingernails grow long, trim them promptly to maintain hand hygiene.
3. 这款产品在安全测试中获得了甲级评定。 This product received a Grade A rating in safety testing.

Usage Guide

Context: contracts, legal, biology, ranking

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 甲方同意这些条款。(Party A agrees to these terms.)
• 你的指甲太长了。(Your fingernails are too long.)

Don't Say

• 我是甲 (In casual contexts, just say 我是第一个 — 甲 for 'first' is mainly in formal/contractual contexts)

Origin & History

Oracle bone pictograph of a turtle shell or seed sprouting, the first of the ten Heavenly Stems in the Chinese calendar system.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated