Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
祗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
祗zhīto revere, to respect, to look up tog, 9 strokes, radical 礻, rank #32124, Very Hard
祗zhīrespectful (ly)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 礻, rank #32124, Very Hard
zhī(zhi1) T1
  1. 1to revere, to respect, to look up to
  2. 2respectful (ly)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

祗zhī(zhi1)

The character 祗 (zhī) conveys a sense of reverence or respect, often used in formal contexts to denote honor towards a person or deity. It can also imply looking up to someone with admiration, reflecting a deep acknowledgment of their status or worth.

Strokes9Radical礻Frequency#32124DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, respect is paramount, especially in hierarchical relationships. The character 祗 reflects this cultural value, often seen in traditional ceremonies and when addressing elders or authority figures.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person bowing deeply in front of a shrine, showing utmost respect. The character 祗 features the radical 示 (shì), which relates to rituals and offerings, suggesting a connection to reverence in a spiritual context. The pronunciation 'zhī' can be remembered as a soft whisper of respect.

Meanings of 祗

zhī(zhi1)
1to revere, to respect, to look up to
2respectful (ly)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 祗

祗Simplified
9Strokes
礻Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 祗

JasonAmy

Podcast: 祗

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 祗

Usage Notes

This character is often used in formal writing or speeches, so avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include 祗敬 (zhī jìng, to respect) and 祗仰 (zhī yǎng, to look up to). Watch out for tone mistakes; ensure 'zhī' is pronounced with the first tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 祗 is not included in the official HSK levels, it connects with other words about respect and honor that learners might encounter. Focus on recognizing its usage in formal contexts, as it will enhance your understanding of respectful language.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 祗 with similar characters like 尊 (zūn), which also means respect but has a broader usage. For example, saying '我祗他的意见' (I respect his opinion) is incorrect; it should be '我尊重他的意见'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 祗

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 祗 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 祗

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

Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 氐 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

spirit

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 祗

Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 氐 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half礻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half氐 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspirit
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 祗? 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 祗?

Decomposition of 祗

IDS Structure⿰礻氐
祗Full Character
=
礻shi4
left
氐Di1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 祗?

How to say to revere, to respect, to look up to in Chinese

“to revere, to respect, to look up to” in Chinese is祗zhī

The character 祗 (zhī) conveys a sense of reverence or respect, often used in formal contexts to denote honor towards a person or deity. It can also imply looking up to someone with admiration, reflecting a deep acknowledgment of their status or worth.

When to use 祗

This character is often used in formal writing or speeches, so avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include 祗敬 (zhī jìng, to respect) and 祗仰 (zhī yǎng, to look up to). Watch out for tone mistakes; ensure 'zhī' is pronounced with the first tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 祗 with similar characters like 尊 (zūn), which also means respect but has a broader usage. For example, saying '我祗他的意见' (I respect his opinion) is incorrect; it should be '我尊重他的意见'.

Write 祗

祗

Practice writing 祗 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 祗

Words Containing This Character1
祗zhīrespectful (ly)
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 祗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 祗

You can use it like this: 我们应该祗敬长辈 (We should respect our elders).

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 祗?

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.