径 (jìng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

径

jìng[jing4]Tone 4

footpath, track, diameter, straight

HSK 6

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徑

Guru Deep Dive

English · footpath, track, diameter, straight

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (ℸ/彳) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving two-thirds for the right phonetic component (巠). Keep both sides balanced vertically.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 徑 uses the standard left component 彳 (double-person radical) and right component 巠, which remains largely identical in simplified form 径.

1. Meaning

path or footpath

trackdiameterstraightdirectly

Noun / AdjectiveFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#geometry#geography#movement

Sample Usage

小径
xiǎojìng
small path / trail
直径
zhíjìng
diameter

2. Sound

/[t͡ɕiŋ˥˩]/Tone: 51

径

jìngjing4

`(51)

=jìng

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal

Sounds like: j sound as in jeep (unaspirated)

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate, releasing gently without a puff of air.

Final Rhyme

ing

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: -ing rhymes with 'king' or 'ring'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'eeng'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 is a high-to-low sharp drop, matching a definitive command in English.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse with the first tone (jīng) or second tone (jíng). Ensure the pitch goes down steeply like a cliff.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply, like nodding 'yes!' firmly or shouting a sudden command.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (ℸ/彳) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving two-thirds for the right phonetic component (巠). Keep both sides balanced vertically.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 徑 uses the standard left component 彳 (double-person radical) and right component 巠, which remains largely identical in simplified form 径.

4. Components

Radical 彳 · Stepping stone radical (movement, steps, street)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 彳 (indicates walking, paths, or roads)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 巠 (original sound: jīng)

A stepping stone / walking radical (彳) combined with the underground water-channel or flowing structure (巠) creates a straight path or track (径).

彳 stepping / walking
巠 underground water streams / channels (phonetic & structural hint)

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

24· Phonetic Root: 工 (gōng)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed to describe narrow paths or tracks walked upon, combining the 'step' radical with a phonetic element representing underground channels or straight flows (巠).

Semantic Evolution: From 'footpath' or 'trail', the meaning expanded metaphorically to mean 'straight', 'direct', and geometrically to 'diameter' (the straight line passing through the center of a circle).

Used in ancient texts to denote shortcut routes through mountains or fields.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

kính

High rising tone in Vietnamese corresponding to Chinese falling tone in some borrowings, though pitch contours differ.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ケイ (kei) / Kun: みち (michi)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

경

Sound Shift Bridge: The -ing final in Mandarin frequently bridges to -ei/-ei/-ing endings in Japanese Sino-readings (kei).

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

You take a **step** (彳) down a **straight underground channel** (巠) to find a hidden **footpath** (径).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

经

jīngclassics / pass throughReplaces the right side with silk thread (纟), meaning warp threads or sacred texts.

轻

qīnglight (weight)Replaces the left side with vehicle (车) or changes meaning entirely.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

经(jīng)

径 uses 彳 (steps) for paths, while 经 uses 纟 (silk thread) for classic texts and warp threads.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

这根圆柱的[___]是多少？

Clue: zhí jìng

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the right-side component with 经 (jīng), mixing up the stepping radical (彳) with the silk radical (纟).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 径 mean when seen in compound words like 小径 or 直径?

Production: How do you write the character for 'path' or 'diameter' (jìng)?

径jìngfootpath, track, diameter, straight

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