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咭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
咭jī(Cant.) to guard (from Engl. 'guard'); a card (from Engl. 'card'); young and pretty (from Engl. 'kid')zg, 9 strokes, radical 口
jī(ji1) T1
  1. 1(Cant.) to guard (from Engl. 'guard'); a card (from Engl. 'card'); young and pretty (from Engl. 'kid')
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

咭jī(ji1)

The character 咭 (jī) primarily refers to a card, often used in the context of playing cards or identification cards. In Cantonese, it can also mean to guard, reflecting a protective meaning. The character may also describe someone young and pretty, akin to the English term 'kid.'

Strokes9Radical口
Cultural Note

In Cantonese-speaking regions, cards play a significant role in social activities, such as playing games or exchanging business cards. The cultural importance of presentation and networking is reflected in the use of 咭.

Memory Tip

Imagine a young child (representing 'kid') holding a brightly colored card (the meaning of 'card'). The shape of 咭 resembles a 'shield' that guards the child, linking it to the meaning of protection.

Meanings of 咭

jī(ji1)
1(Cant.) to guard (from Engl. 'guard'); a card (from Engl. 'card'); young and pretty (from Engl. 'kid')
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 咭

咭Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 咭

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Podcast: 咭

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AI Study Notes for 咭

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the pronunciation when using this character, as it can be confused with similar-sounding words. It is primarily used in Cantonese, which may not be familiar to Mandarin speakers. Common collocations include 咭片 (kā piàn - business card) and 咭卡 (kā kǎ - card).

HSK Study Tips

This character does not appear in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it's useful for learners interested in Cantonese. Focus on pronunciation and context usage, especially in informal settings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 咭 with similar characters like 卡 (kǎ), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying 咭片 (jī piàn) instead of 卡片 (kǎ piàn) for 'card' is a common mistake.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 咭

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Etymology of 咭

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

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 咭

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

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

Want the full history of 咭? 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 咭?

Decomposition of 咭

IDS Structure⿰口吉
咭Full Character
=
口kou3
left
吉Ji2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 咭?

How to say (Cant.) to guard (from Engl. 'guard'); a card (from Engl. 'card'); young and pretty (from Engl. 'kid') in Chinese

“(Cant.) to guard (from Engl. 'guard'); a card (from Engl. 'card'); young and pretty (from Engl. 'kid')” in Chinese is咭jī

The character 咭 (jī) primarily refers to a card, often used in the context of playing cards or identification cards. In Cantonese, it can also mean to guard, reflecting a protective meaning. The character may also describe someone young and pretty, akin to the English term 'kid.'

When to use 咭

Be cautious with the pronunciation when using this character, as it can be confused with similar-sounding words. It is primarily used in Cantonese, which may not be familiar to Mandarin speakers. Common collocations include 咭片 (kā piàn - business card) and 咭卡 (kā kǎ - card).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 咭 with similar characters like 卡 (kǎ), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying 咭片 (jī piàn) instead of 卡片 (kǎ piàn) for 'card' is a common mistake.

Write 咭

咭

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

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Word Family of 咭

Words Containing This Character1
咭jīgrumble
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 咭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 咭

It's pronounced as 'jī' in Mandarin, but be aware it has a different pronunciation in Cantonese.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 咭?

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.