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颉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
颉xiésurname Xieunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉xiécontest; to fly, to soarnr, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉xiéto confiscateunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉xiélegendary dog-like animal (old)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉xié(of the neck) stiffunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉jiésurname Xieunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉jiécontest; to fly, to soarnr, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉jiéto confiscateunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉jiélegendary dog-like animal (old)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
颉jié(of the neck) stiffunknown, 12 strokes, radical 页, rank #87439, Very Hard
jié(jie2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1surname Xie
  2. 2contest; to fly, to soar
Also a Chinese surname, Xie — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

颉(頡)jié(jie2)

The character 颉 (jié) typically refers to the action of contesting or soaring, often in a metaphorical sense, such as competing or striving. It can also denote a stiff neck, or be used as a surname. This character is less commonly used in everyday language and may appear in literary or historical contexts.

Strokes12Radical页Frequency#87439DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese texts, 颉 is sometimes associated with mythical creatures, particularly in tales that emphasize competition and striving for greatness, reflecting values important in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a bird soaring high in the sky (飞, fēi) with a stiff neck (颈, jǐng) as it contests with other birds for space. The character's top resembles the wings of a bird, while the bottom looks like a neck, reminding you of its meaning and pronunciation 'jié'.

Meanings of 颉

jié(jie2)
primary
1contest; to fly, to soar
2to confiscate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 颉

颉Simplified
頡Traditional
12Strokes
页Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 颉

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Podcast: 颉

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AI Study Notes for 颉

Usage Notes

While 颉 has several meanings, learners often confuse it with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use it in appropriate contexts, particularly when referring to competitions or metaphorical soaring. The tone is crucial; mispronouncing it as 'jie' can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

As 颉 is not listed in HSK levels, learners should focus on its usage in literary texts or historical documents. Connecting it with related characters like 飛 (to fly) may help reinforce its meaning and pronunciation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 颉 with similar characters like 亘 (gèn), which means to extend. For example, saying '我很颉' (wǒ hěn jié) incorrectly implies a meaning of 'I am contesting', whereas it should be used in specific contexts related to soaring or competition.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 颉

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Etymology of 颉

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

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 吉 represents the sound. Simplified form of 頡.

Memory Hint

leaf

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 颉

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 吉 represents the sound. Simplified form of 頡.

  1. 1The meaning half页 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half吉 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayleaf
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 颉? 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 颉?

Decomposition of 颉

IDS Structure⿰吉页
颉Full Character
=
吉Ji2
left
页ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 颉?

How to say surname Xie in Chinese

“surname Xie” in Chinese is颉xié

The character 颉 (jié) typically refers to the action of contesting or soaring, often in a metaphorical sense, such as competing or striving. It can also denote a stiff neck, or be used as a surname. This character is less commonly used in everyday language and may appear in literary or historical contexts.

When to use 颉

While 颉 has several meanings, learners often confuse it with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use it in appropriate contexts, particularly when referring to competitions or metaphorical soaring. The tone is crucial; mispronouncing it as 'jie' can lead to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 颉 with similar characters like 亘 (gèn), which means to extend. For example, saying '我很颉' (wǒ hěn jié) incorrectly implies a meaning of 'I am contesting', whereas it should be used in specific contexts related to soaring or competition.

Write 颉

颉

Practice writing 颉 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 颉

Words Containing This Character2
颉jiéto confiscate頡
仓颉Cangjie input method (computing)倉頡
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 颉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 颉

In modern usage, 颉 is not commonly used; it primarily appears in literary or historical contexts.

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