unknown, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #14995, Very Hard
jī(ji1) T1
1to grumble; to sigh
2grumble
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March 24, 2026
叽(嘰)jī(ji1)
The character 叽 (jī) primarily conveys the idea of grumbling, sighing, or murmuring. It is often used to describe soft, repetitive sounds or utterances, typically associated with annoyance or dissatisfaction. This word can be used in both informal contexts and in written narratives to depict complaining or expressing discontent.
Strokes5Radical口Frequency#14995DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the act of grumbling or sighing is often associated with expressing dissatisfaction in a subtle manner, as direct confrontation is sometimes avoided. This character can be used to describe the behavior of individuals in various social contexts, such as family gatherings or workplace scenarios.
Memory Tip
Imagine a small bird chirping (叽 sounds like 'chirp') while it grumbles about its food. The left side of the character looks like a mouth (口) that is constantly making noise, while the right side represents a bird-like body (possibly the '几' component) that is always complaining about something.
Meanings of 叽
jī(ji1)
1to grumble; to sigh
2grumble
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 叽
叽Simplified
嘰Traditional
5Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 叽
Podcast: 叽
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AI Study Notes for 叽
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 叽 with similar-sounding words that convey different meanings, so it’s essential to distinguish it through context. It is generally used in informal settings and may not fit well in formal speech or writing. Common collocations include 叽叽喳喳 (jī jī zhā zhā), which describes a continuous noise or chatter.
HSK Study Tips
Although 叽 is not part of the HSK curriculum, learners should focus on its phonetic similarity to other HSK words. Understanding the context of soft sounds and murmuring can help make sense of other words that describe communication or emotions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce 叽 as 'ji' when they should focus on the tonal aspect, as it is a high-level tone. For example, saying 'ji' instead of the correct 'jī' can change the meaning and lead to misunderstandings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 叽
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Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嘰.
1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
2The sound half几 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymouth
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 叽? 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 叽?
Decomposition of 叽
IDS Structure⿰口几
叽Full Character
=
口kou3
left
几ji1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 叽?
How to say to grumble; to sigh in Chinese
“to grumble; to sigh” in Chinese is叽jī
The character 叽 (jī) primarily conveys the idea of grumbling, sighing, or murmuring. It is often used to describe soft, repetitive sounds or utterances, typically associated with annoyance or dissatisfaction. This word can be used in both informal contexts and in written narratives to depict complaining or expressing discontent.
When to use 叽
Learners often confuse 叽 with similar-sounding words that convey different meanings, so it’s essential to distinguish it through context. It is generally used in informal settings and may not fit well in formal speech or writing. Common collocations include 叽叽喳喳 (jī jī zhā zhā), which describes a continuous noise or chatter.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mispronounce 叽 as 'ji' when they should focus on the tonal aspect, as it is a high-level tone. For example, saying 'ji' instead of the correct 'jī' can change the meaning and lead to misunderstandings.
Write 叽
叽
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Practice writing 叽 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 叽
叽 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
没几分钟，我就走开了，留下他们在那儿____里咕噜地说个不停。
After a minute or two I left them there jabbering away.
Example Sentences for 叽 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
没几分钟，我就走开了，留下他们在那儿叽里咕噜地说个不停。
méi jī fēn zhōng， ， wǒ jiù zǒu kāi， le ， liú xià tā mén zài nà ér jī lǐ gū lū dì shuō gè。
After a minute or two I left them there jabbering away.
2
这些女裁缝围着模特儿衣架叽叽嘎嘎地讨论衣服这里或那里要做的小改动。
zhè xiē nǚ cái féng wéi zháo mó tè ér yī jià jī jī gā gā dì tǎo lùn yī fú zhè lǐ huò nà lǐ yào zuò de xiǎo gǎi dòng。
The seamstresses cluck around a dummy, discussing a tuck here and there.
3
那个女孩儿叽里咕噜地说着，谁也没听懂。
nà gè nǚ hái ér jī lǐ gū lū dì shuō zháo， ， shuí yě méi tīng。
