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憶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
憶yìto remember, to reflect upon; memoryzg, 16 strokes, radical 忄, rank #66729, Very Hard
yì(yi4)yi T4
  1. 1to remember, to reflect upon; memory
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March 24, 2026

憶yì(yi4)

The character 憶 (yì) means 'to remember' or 'to reflect upon.' It can refer to recalling past experiences or memories, and is often used in contexts involving nostalgia or reflection. This character conveys a sense of conscious thought directed toward one's memories.

Strokes16Radical忄Frequency#66729DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the act of remembering is often tied to familial bonds and ancestral respect, where reflecting on memories can play a significant role during festivals like Qingming, when people honor their ancestors.

Memory tip

Imagine a person sitting under a tree (the radical '心' represents the heart, and '憶' also suggests a thoughtful state) while looking at a photo album, recalling sweet memories. The 'yì' sound can be remembered as 'yearning' for those memories, as they reflect on what is dear to their heart.

Meanings of 憶

yì(yi4)
1to remember, to reflect upon; memory
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 憶

憶Simplified
16Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 憶

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Podcast: 憶

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AI Study Notes for 憶

Quick Contrast

回忆 (huíyì) vs 记得 (jìde) — use 憶 when emphasizing a reflective or nostalgic aspect of memory, while 回忆 focuses on the act of recalling specific memories, and 记得 simply denotes the ability to remember.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 憶 with 记 (jì), which is more about recording information rather than reflecting on memories. In formal contexts, use 憶 to express deeper feelings about memories rather than just recalling facts. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing 'yì' can lead to misunderstanding.

HSK Study Tips

While 憶 is not in the official HSK levels, it connects to other memory-related words like 记得 (jìdé) and 回忆 (huíyì) at higher levels. Focus on using it in sentences that express personal reflections to deepen understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 憶 with 记 (jì) when trying to express memory; for example, saying '我记憶这个' (Wǒ jì yì zhège) instead of '我憶起这个' (Wǒ yì qǐ zhège) can lead to errors in meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 憶

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Etymology of 憶

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

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 乙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 憶.

Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)意
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

憶 = 忄 + 意. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 憶

IDS Structure⿰忄意
憶Full character
=
忄xin1
left
意Yi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 憶?

How to say to remember, to reflect upon; memory in Chinese

“to remember, to reflect upon; memory” in Chinese is憶yì

The character 憶 (yì) means 'to remember' or 'to reflect upon.' It can refer to recalling past experiences or memories, and is often used in contexts involving nostalgia or reflection. This character conveys a sense of conscious thought directed toward one's memories.

When to use 憶

Common mistakes include confusing 憶 with 记 (jì), which is more about recording information rather than reflecting on memories. In formal contexts, use 憶 to express deeper feelings about memories rather than just recalling facts. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing 'yì' can lead to misunderstanding.

憶 or something close to it

回忆 (huíyì) vs 记得 (jìde) — use 憶 when emphasizing a reflective or nostalgic aspect of memory, while 回忆 focuses on the act of recalling specific memories, and 记得 simply denotes the ability to remember.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 憶 with 记 (jì) when trying to express memory; for example, saying '我记憶这个' (Wǒ jì yì zhège) instead of '我憶起这个' (Wǒ yì qǐ zhège) can lead to errors in meaning.

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憶

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Word Family of 憶

Words containing this character13
记忆jìyìto remember記憶
回忆huíyìto recall回憶
忆yìmemory憶
记忆力faculty of memory記憶力
回忆录huíyìlùmemoir回憶錄
记忆犹新jìyìyóuxīnto remain fresh in one's memory (idiom)記憶猶新
追忆to recollect追憶
林忆莲Sandy Lam (1966-), Hong Kong pop singer林憶蓮
忆苦思甜to view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)憶苦思甜
忆述to talk (or write) about one's recollections of past events憶述
忆苦饭fig. poor-tasting meal憶苦飯
快速记忆法mnemotechnic method快速記憶法
记忆化memoization (computing)記憶化
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 憶

What does 记忆 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 憶

You can say '我常常憶起我的童年' (Wǒ chángcháng yì qǐ wǒ de tóngnián), which means 'I often remember my childhood.'

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