inspect, check, surname Ji
English · inspect, check, surname Ji
to inspect, to check, to examine
- 海关正在稽查这批进口货物。hǎiguān zhèngzài jīchá zhè pī jìnkǒu huòwù.Customs is inspecting this batch of imported goods.
- 无稽之谈wújīzhītánbaseless talk, nonsense (literally: talk without foundation/verification)
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 15 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (禾) and right side (𣫏) must balance symmetrically; keep the vertical strokes straight and avoid letting the right side drift too low.
Radical 禾 · Grain Radical (Cereal plant, grain)
Semantic Clue (形旁): 禾 (Relates to grain, counting, or reckoning (as in measuring harvest yields).)
Phonetic Clue (声旁): 旨 (original sound: ji)
The character combines the grain radical (禾) on the left with the finger/decree or key indicator component (旨) on the right, symbolizing the careful inspection or calculation of grain reserves.
- 禾 Grain / crop semantic indicator
- 旨 Phonetic and structural component providing the 'ji' sound
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
5· Phonetic Root: 旨 (zhǐ)Origin: Originally formed to denote checking or calculating agricultural yields (represented by grain 禾), which later generalized into inspecting, examining, and investigating.
Semantic Evolution: From measuring and inspecting grain yields to general investigation, auditing, and checking.
- Often found in literary or bureaucratic contexts such as 稽查 (to inspect/investigate) and 审核 (to audit/check).
To **inspect** (jī) the harvest, the official brings grain (禾) and a guiding decree (旨) to check every single stalk.
jīConfusing 稽 (jī) with 基 (jī) in compounds due to the identical pronunciation, forgetting that 稽 involves checking/inspecting (grain/formal records) while 基 involves foundations.
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.