Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (three-dot water) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right side (hsi/weak element) spacious and balanced.
1. Meaning
creek
rivuletstream
NounNeutral#nature#water
Sample Usage
清澈的小溪在山间流淌。
qīngchè de xiǎoxī zài shān jiān liútǎng.
The clear little creek flows through the mountains.
我们在溪边野餐。
wǒmen zài xī biān yěcān.
We had a picnic by the creek.
2. Sound
/[ɕi˴]/Tone: 55
溪
xīxi1
|
++
¯(55)
=xī
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
xi
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
x
Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative
Sounds like: sh sound pronounced with spread lips and tongue blade near hard palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue blade raised toward the hard palate, teeth nearly closed, lips spread.
Final Rhyme
i
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
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is flat and sustained at the top of your vocal range, like a musical note held steady.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex sibilant 'x' with 'sh' or 's'. Remember that 'x' is an alveolo-palatal sound, made with the tongue blade near the roof of the mouth with flat, spread lips.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A steady, high horizontal line drawn in the air, matching the high level pitch of Tone 1.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 13 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (three-dot water) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right side (hsi/weak element) spacious and balanced.
4. Components
Radical氵 · Water Radical (water)
Semantic Clue (形旁):氵 (indicates that the word relates to water)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):奚 (original sound: xī)
Water (氵) flows through where servants or people (奚) gather or travel, forming a small creek (溪).
氵 Water
奚 Phonetic clue for xī
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
7· Phonetic Root: 奚 (xī)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Combined from the water signific (氵) and the phonetic element 奚 (xī), denoting a stream of flowing water smaller than a river.
Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to mountain streams and rivulets; modern usage has expanded to general creeks and small streams.
The right component '奚' also serves as a phonetic in other characters like 蹊 (path).
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
khê
High level or level tone counterpart
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ケイ / Kun: たに
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
계
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Imagine refreshing water (氵) trickling down a mountain where a servant (奚) stops to wash up by a tiny creek.