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璽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
璽xǐimperial signet, royal signetx, 19 strokes, radical 玉
xǐ(xi3) T3
  1. 1imperial signet, royal signet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

璽xǐ(xi3)

The character 璽 (xǐ) refers to an imperial or royal signet, a seal used by emperors and high officials in ancient China to authenticate documents or express authority. This character is often associated with power and legitimacy, and its usage is primarily historical or formal, typically found in literature or discussions about imperial governance.

Strokes19Radical玉
Cultural Note

In ancient China, the imperial seal was a symbol of the emperor's rule and was considered sacred. The meticulous crafting of these seals often reflected the artistry of the time and was an essential part of official state documents.

Memory Tip

Imagine a majestic emperor using a beautiful jade seal (the radical 玉, meaning 'jade') that represents his power. The character 璽 looks like a square seal, and you can remember 'xǐ' by picturing the emperor saying 'see' as he stamps his royal seal on important documents.

Meanings of 璽

xǐ(xi3)
1imperial signet, royal signet
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 璽

璽Simplified
19Strokes
玉Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 璽

JasonAmy

Podcast: 璽

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 璽

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 璽 with other words related to seals or stamps, such as 印 (yìn), which refers to a general stamp. 璽 is more formal and is seldom used in everyday conversation. Be cautious of the third tone; it may be mispronounced as the second tone.

HSK Study Tips

Since 璽 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists, it may be beneficial for learners at higher levels (HSK 5 and above) to explore this character in the context of historical texts or discussions about Chinese governance, enhancing their understanding of cultural heritage.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 璽 with the more common seal character 印 (yìn). For instance, saying '我有一个璽' (I have a seal) instead of '我有一个印' (I have a stamp) is incorrect unless referring to a royal context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 璽

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Etymology of 璽

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

Phonosemantic compound. 玉 represents the meaning and 尔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 璽.

Memory Hint

jade

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 璽

Phonosemantic compound. 玉 represents the meaning and 尔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 璽.

  1. 1The meaning half玉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half爾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayjade
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 璽? 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 璽?

Decomposition of 璽

IDS Structure⿱爾玉
璽Full Character
=
爾er3
top
玉yu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 璽?

How to say imperial signet, royal signet in Chinese

“imperial signet, royal signet” in Chinese is璽xǐ

The character 璽 (xǐ) refers to an imperial or royal signet, a seal used by emperors and high officials in ancient China to authenticate documents or express authority. This character is often associated with power and legitimacy, and its usage is primarily historical or formal, typically found in literature or discussions about imperial governance.

When to use 璽

Learners often confuse 璽 with other words related to seals or stamps, such as 印 (yìn), which refers to a general stamp. 璽 is more formal and is seldom used in everyday conversation. Be cautious of the third tone; it may be mispronounced as the second tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 璽 with the more common seal character 印 (yìn). For instance, saying '我有一个璽' (I have a seal) instead of '我有一个印' (I have a stamp) is incorrect unless referring to a royal context.

Write 璽

璽

Practice writing 璽 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 璽

Words Containing This Character3
玺xǐruler's seal璽
国玺seal of state國璽
印玺official seal印璽
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 玺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 璽

While 印 refers to a general stamp or seal used for various purposes, 璽 specifically denotes an imperial or royal signet, reserved for high authority.

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Not sure what to learn after 璽?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.