技 (jì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

技

jì[ji4]Tone 4

skill

HSK 3

Guru Deep Dive

English · skill

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:7

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) should be slightly narrower and higher, while the right component (支) provides a sturdy, balanced base extending downward.

1. Meaning

skill, ability, technique

craftarttalent

NounNeutral#ability#action#talent

Sample Usage

这需要高超的技艺。
zhè xūyào gāochāo de jìyì.
This requires superb skill and artistry.
科技改变了我们的生活。
kējì gǎibiàn le wǒmen de shēnghuó.
Technology has changed our lives.

2. Sound

/[t͡ɕi˥˩]/Tone: 51

技

jìji4

`(51)

=jì

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal

Sounds like: j sound as in jeep

Unaspirated

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

Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue presses against the hard palate, releasing with a soft affricate burst.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: ee sound as in see

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

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 starts high and drops abruptly, like saying 'No!' or 'Stop!' in English.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse Tone 4 jì with Tone 1 jī or Tone 3 jǐ. The sharp downward pitch contour is essential.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A quick downward chop with your hand representing a falling tone from high to low.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) should be slightly narrower and higher, while the right component (支) provides a sturdy, balanced base extending downward.

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand Radical (hand, action, physical work)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (indicates physical action or manual labor)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 支 (original sound: zhī)

A skilled person uses their hand (扌) to branch out or control branches/tools (支), representing craftsmanship and skill.

扌 Hand component indicating action
支 Phonetic and structural component meaning branch or support

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

14· Phonetic Root: 支 (zhī)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the hand radical (扌) to signify manual execution and 支 (zhī) as a phonetic indicator representing branching or handling.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from manual labor and handling branches to general skill, craft, technology, and artistic ability.

In ancient times, 技 was often used interchangeably with physical trades and craftsmanship before expanding to modern high-tech fields like 科技 (technology).

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ギ / Kun: わざ

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

기

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

With your own HAND (扌), you carefully handle every BRANCH (支) to build a master-level SKILL (技).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

枝

zhībranchUses tree wood radical (木) instead of hand (扌) for a tree branch.

肢

zhīlimbUses flesh/body radical (月) to signify limbs of the body.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

枝(zhī)

枝 has the wood radical (木) for tree branches, whereas 技 has the hand radical (扌) for human skills.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他有一项非常厉害的电脑___。

Clue: jì

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 技 (jì) with 支 (zhī) when writing quickly, or misapplying the tone as Tone 1 or Tone 3.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does the character 技 mean when you see it in 科技 (technology) or 技巧 (skill)?

Production: How do you write the character for 'skill' (jì) using the hand radical and the phonetic component 支?

技jìskill

Speed:

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