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冀 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
冀jìsurname Jiunknown, 16 strokes, radical 八, rank #46326, Very Hard
冀jìto hope for; to wish; Hebei provincens, 16 strokes, radical 八, rank #46326, Very Hard
冀jìshort name for Hebei 河北 provinceunknown, 16 strokes, radical 八, rank #46326, Very Hard
jì(Ji4) T4
  1. 1surname Ji
  2. 2to hope for; to wish; Hebei province
Also a Chinese surname, Ji — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

冀jì(Ji4)

The character 冀 (jì) primarily means to hope for or to wish for something. It is also used as a short form for Hebei province (河北), and it can serve as a surname. In contexts, it often conveys aspirations or desires, especially in literary expressions or poetic language.

Strokes16Radical八Frequency#46326DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

冀 is often associated with Hebei province, which is historically significant as it surrounds Beijing and has played a vital role in Chinese culture and politics. The province is known for its rich history and traditional Chinese arts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person (人) with a 'hat' (冀) on their head, symbolizing their hopes and wishes. The character's form combines the idea of 'hoping' (to wish) and 'Hebei' (a geographical place), which you can visualize as a person dreaming of the beautiful landscapes in that province.

Meanings of 冀

jì(Ji4)
1to hope for; to wish; Hebei province
2short name for Hebei 河北 province
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 冀

冀Simplified
16Strokes
八Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 冀

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Podcast: 冀

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AI Study Notes for 冀

Usage Notes

The character is often used in a literary or formal context, so avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include phrases like 希冀 (xī jì - to hope for) and 冀望 (jì wàng - to expect). Be mindful of the third tone of jì, as mispronouncing it as the first tone could lead to confusion.

HSK Study Tips

Although 冀 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to HSK level 4 and above through words related to hope and aspiration, such as 希望 (xī wàng - hope). Students should focus on differentiating between similarly toned characters and expanding their vocabulary related to aspirations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 冀 (jì) with 希 (xī) due to their similar meanings related to hope. For example, using 希冀 instead of 冀望 in a sentence can lead to awkward phrasing; ensure you use them in their appropriate contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 冀

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Etymology of 冀

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 北 represents the meaning and 異 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

north

Semantic (meaning)北
+
Phonetic (sound)異
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 冀

Phonosemantic compound. 北 represents the meaning and 異 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half北 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half異 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaynorth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 冀? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 冀?

Decomposition of 冀

IDS Structure⿱北異
冀Full Character
=
北bei3
top
異yi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 冀?

How to say surname Ji in Chinese

“surname Ji” in Chinese is冀jì

The character 冀 (jì) primarily means to hope for or to wish for something. It is also used as a short form for Hebei province (河北), and it can serve as a surname. In contexts, it often conveys aspirations or desires, especially in literary expressions or poetic language.

When to use 冀

The character is often used in a literary or formal context, so avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include phrases like 希冀 (xī jì - to hope for) and 冀望 (jì wàng - to expect). Be mindful of the third tone of jì, as mispronouncing it as the first tone could lead to confusion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 冀 (jì) with 希 (xī) due to their similar meanings related to hope. For example, using 希冀 instead of 冀望 in a sentence can lead to awkward phrasing; ensure you use them in their appropriate contexts.

Write 冀

冀

Practice writing 冀 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 冀

Words Containing This Character7
冀jìsurname Ji
冀州Jishou county level city in Hengshui 衡水[Héng​shuǐ], Hebei
晋察冀Shanxi 山西, Chahar 察哈爾|察哈尔 and Hebei 河北 (three provinces of the Republic of China in the period 1912-1936)晉察冀
期冀to wish
冀州市Jishou county level city in Hengshui 衡水[Héng​shuǐ], Hebei
冀朝铸Ji Chaozhu (1929-), Chinese diplomat冀朝鑄
冀县Ji county in Hebei冀縣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 冀 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 冀

Common phrases include 希冀 (xī jì - to hope) and 冀望 (jì wàng - expectation).

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