可贵
kěguì · HSK 7
praiseworthy
💎 可 (worthy of) + 贵 (precious) = worthy of being treasured, praiseworthy
可 marks something as worthy or -able; 贵 means precious or expensive. Together they label a quality precious enough to deserve praise. The same 贵 shows up in 贵宾 (honored guest) and 昂贵 (costly).
可 — mouth 口 + breath marker 丁 (modified)
可 originally depicted a mouth (口) with a curved stroke suggesting exhaled breath or speech, conveying approval or assent. From this came the meaning 'to permit' or 'can,' as granting permission was expressed verbally. Today it broadly means 'may,' 'can,' or 'approve.'
贵 — shell 贝 (money) + 中 (middle/basket)
贵 originally depicted hands holding a basket of cowrie shells (贝), which served as ancient Chinese currency. The shell radical 贝 signals connection to wealth and value. Over time it came to mean 'expensive,' 'valuable,' and by extension 'noble' or 'honored.'