HanziGuru.依 · yī
依
yī[yi1]Tone 1

to depend on, according to

HSK 4
Guru Deep Dive

English · to depend on, according to

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:8
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (亻) should be narrower and slightly taller, while the right component (衣) takes up more horizontal width and provides stability.
1. Meaning

to depend on

to comply with or listen to someoneaccording toin the light of
Verb, PrepositionNeutral#relationship#reliance#prepositional
Sample Usage
  • 他 依 着 门 站 着 。
    tā yī zhe mén zhàn zhe 。
    He is standing leaning against the door.
  • 依 我 看 ， 这 个 办 法 很 好 。
    yī wǒ kàn, zhè ge bàn fǎ hěn hǎo 。
    In my opinion, this method is very good.
2. Sound
/[i⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
依
yīyi1
++
¯(55)
=yī
Initial Consonant
y
Type: Palatal Glide (Zero Initial)
Sounds like: Zero initial (starts directly with vowel)
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Acts as a bridge into 'i' or 'ü' vowel sounds.
Tongue & Mouth Position: No initial consonant obstruction; tongue starts straight in the high front vowel position.
Final Rhyme
i
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with ee in 'see'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch, comparable to maintaining a high musical note without dipping or rising.
👂
Listening trap: Sometimes confused with third-tone ǐ or fourth-tone ì if spoken too quickly in conversational speech.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your voice at a steady, high pitch, like a flat musical note sustained at the top of your vocal range.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (亻) should be narrower and slightly taller, while the right component (衣) takes up more horizontal width and provides stability.

4. Components

Radical 亻 · Person Radical (human, person)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 亻 (indicates human connection or reliance)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 衣 (original sound: yī)

A person (亻) leaning on or wrapped in clothing (衣) for warmth and support, representing the idea of depending on something.

  • 亻 person
  • 衣 clothing / phonetic cue
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the person radical (亻) representing a human agent and the phonetic component (衣) which originally depicted a garment.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical action of wearing or leaning on clothing for comfort, it broadened metaphorically to mean 'relying on', 'complying with', or 'according to'.

  • The right side '衣' gives both the pronunciation and the ancient image of robes that wrap around the body.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: イ (i) / Kun: よ.る (yo.ru)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
의
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

A person (亻) wrapped tightly in a warm winter coat (衣) because they depend on it to survive the cold wind.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
依
yīto depend onStandard base character
猗
yīsigh of admirationReplaces person radical with dog radical (犭)
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
衣(yī)
衣 means 'clothes' and lacks the person radical (亻) on the left.
候(hòu)
Similar right side structure, but uses the vertical eye/wait elements instead of clothing.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这 件 事 全 [___] 你 了 。
Clue: yī
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing it with the standalone noun 衣 (yī - clothes) or forgetting the person radical (亻) on the left when writing.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 依, what are its two primary functions in sentence structure?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to depend on' or 'according to' with Pinyin yī?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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