HanziGuru.棲 · qī
棲
qī[qi1]Tone 1

to perch

HSK 7
View Simplified FormSwitch to Simplified
栖
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · to perch

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (木) should be slightly narrower and compressed to leave ample room for the more complex phonetic right side (西).
Simplification Logic: The traditional form '棲' uses the complex traditional form of '西' (with inner elements) and the traditional wood component, simplified in modern usage while maintaining the clear left-right wood-and-west structure.
1. Meaning

to perch or roost (of birds)

to restto dwellto liveto stay temporarily
VerbFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#animals#habitats#actions
Sample Usage
  • 鸟儿在树枝上栖息。
    Niǎo er zài shùzhī shàng qīxī.
    The birds are perching on the tree branches.
  • 两 Slinky 栖身于破旧的小屋。
    Liǎng gè rén qīshēn yú pòjiù de xiǎowū.
    The two people made their temporary home in a run-down shack.
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
棲
qīqi1
++
¯(55)
=qī
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
qi
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "i" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
q
Type: Aspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: ch sound produced with the tongue flat behind lower teeth
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Extremely strong burst of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST fly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of tongue near the back of lower teeth, flat tongue shape releasing a burst of friction.
Final Rhyme
i
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: ee sound as in 'bee'
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 musical note, just like humming a constant high pitch without any rise or fall.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse 'qī' with 'jī' or 'xī'. 'Q' is strongly aspirated, meaning you should feel a burst of air against your palm.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your hand flat and steady at eye level, making a straight horizontal line to represent the high level pitch.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (木) should be slightly narrower and compressed to leave ample room for the more complex phonetic right side (西).

Simplification Logic: The traditional form '棲' uses the complex traditional form of '西' (with inner elements) and the traditional wood component, simplified in modern usage while maintaining the clear left-right wood-and-west structure.

4. Components

Radical 木 · Wood Radical (Tree, wood, timber)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 木 (Indicates that the perching or dwelling involves trees or wooden structures.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 西 (original sound: qī / xī)

A bird finds a wooden tree (木) toward the west (西) to roost and rest for the night.

  • 木 Tree / wood (semantic clue)
  • 西 West (phonetic clue providing the qī sound)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 木 (tree) indicating where birds settle, and 西 (originally depicting a bird's nest on a tree, later borrowed for 'west') which provides the sound and reinforces the nesting concept.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to birds settling or roosting in trees, later generalized to human habitation, staying, or taking temporary shelter.

  • In ancient texts, '西' originally depicted a bird returning to its nest at sunset in the west, which naturally linked it to words about perching and resting.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: セイ / Kun: す.らう, とまる
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
서
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

At sunset in the WEST (西), a tired bird flies to a WOODEN tree (木) to PERCH (qī) and sleep.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
妻
qīwifePhonetic Core (声旁)
凄
qīintense cold, bleak, mournful+ 冫 (ice)
悽
+ 忄 (heart)
淒
+ 氵 (water)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
妻(qī)
'妻' means wife and lacks the wood (木) radical on the left.
洒(sǎ)
'洒' has a water (氵) radical meaning to sprinkle, whereas '栖' has wood (木).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
夜幕降臨，倦鳥歸林，在枝頭[___]休息。
Clue: qī
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing '栖' (qī - to perch) with '妻' (qī - wife) due to identical pronunciation and similar components, ignoring the essential '木' (wood) radical that anchors the meaning of perching on trees.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 栖 mean, and what is its primary phonetic and semantic breakdown?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to perch / to roost' (qī), and what radical indicates its tree-related meaning?
Real-World Video Context

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

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

棲qīto perch
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube