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稽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
稽jīto examine, to investigatenr, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽jīsurname Jiunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽jīto bow to the groundunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽jīto checkunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽qǐto examine, to investigatenr, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽qǐsurname Jiunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽qǐto bow to the groundunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
稽qǐto checkunknown, 15 strokes, radical 禾, rank #23484, Very Hard
jī(Ji1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1to examine, to investigate
  2. 2to bow to the ground
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
稽jī(Ji1)

The character 稽 (jī) primarily means 'to examine' or 'to investigate.' It is often used in formal contexts, such as legal or academic settings, where thorough checking is required. Additionally, it can denote a gesture of respect, represented by bowing to the ground, which adds a cultural nuance to its meaning.

Strokes15Radical禾Frequency#23484DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, bowing is a sign of respect and humility. The character's meaning of 'bowing to the ground' reflects the importance of respect in social interactions, especially in rituals and formal occasions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a detective (with the radical '禾' representing investigation) bending down to closely inspect the ground (the '木' component) for clues. This scene helps you remember 'jī' sounds like 'gee,' as in 'Gee, that's a detailed examination!'

Meanings of 稽

jī(Ji1)
primary
1to examine, to investigate
2to bow to the ground
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 稽

稽Simplified
15Strokes
禾Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 稽

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Podcast: 稽

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AI Study Notes for 稽

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a detective (with the radical '禾' representing investigation) bending down to closely inspect the ground (the '木' component) for clues. This scene helps you remember 'jī' sounds like 'gee,' as in 'Gee, that's a detailed examination!'

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 稽 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use it in formal contexts, as it may sound too stiff in casual conversation. Common collocations include '稽查' (check or inspect) and '稽核' (audit or verify).

HSK Study Tips

Although 稽 is not an HSK word, it connects with HSK vocabulary related to investigation and examination, such as 研究 (yánjiū - to research). Students should focus on understanding its use in formal contexts for better comprehension.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, bowing is a sign of respect and humility. The character's meaning of 'bowing to the ground' reflects the importance of respect in social interactions, especially in rituals and formal occasions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 稽 with 检 (jiǎn) or 查 (chá), which can lead to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我需要稽这个报告' (I need to check this report) is awkward; it should be '我需要检查这个报告.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 稽

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Etymology of 稽

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

grain

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 稽?

Decomposition of 稽

IDS Structure⿰禾⿱尤旨
稽Full Character
=
禾he2
left
尤You2
top
旨zhi3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 稽?

Write 稽

稽

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 稽

稽 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

不知道为什么，我觉得这极其滑____。

For some unaccountable reason, it struck me as extremely funny.

Example Sentences for 稽 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
不知道为什么，我觉得这极其滑稽。

bù zhī dào wéi shí mó， ， wǒ jué dé zhè jí qí huá。

For some unaccountable reason, it struck me as extremely funny.
2
我最喜欢迈克尔·菲什。他滑稽逗趣，是个实实在在的人物。

wǒ zuì xǐ huān mài kè ěr· · fēi。 shí 。 tā huá jī， dòu qù ， shì gè shí shí zài zài。

Michael Fish is my favourite. He's a hoot, a real character.
3
有些人指控税务稽查员使用了流氓手段。

yǒu xiē rén zhǐ kòng shuì wù jī chá yuán shǐ yòng le liú máng shǒu duàn。

Some people accuse the tax inspectors of bully-boy tactics.
4
我认为那十足是无稽之谈。

wǒ rèn wéi nà shí zú shì wú jī zhī tán。

I think it's absolute nonsense.
5
那是我听过的最滑稽可笑的事。

nà shì wǒ tīng guò de zuì huá jī kě xiào de shì。

That's the funniest thing I've ever heard.
6
他一边和那扇门较着劲，一边表情滑稽地看着我。

tā yī biān hé nà shàn mén jiào zháo jìn， ， yī biān biǎo qíng huá jī dì kàn zháo。

He looked at me humorously as he wrestled with the door.
7
我以前常穿新潮的衣服，但看上去却滑稽可笑。

wǒ yǐ qián cháng chuān xīn cháo de yī fú， ， dàn kàn shàng qù què huá jī kě。

I used to wear trendy gear but it just looked ridiculous.
8
他们顺着摇摇晃晃的梯子往上爬，看起来非常滑稽。

tā mén shùn zháo yáo yáo huǎng huǎng de tī zǐ wǎng shàng pá， ， kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng huá。

They looked rather comical as they crawled up precarious ladders.
9
这本书信集感情真挚，语言坦率，还透着一种顽皮的滑稽。

zhè běn shū xìn jí gǎn qíng zhēn zhì， ， yǔ yán tǎn， shuài ， huán tòu zháo yī zhǒng wán pí de。

This collection of letters is affectionate, candid and wickedly funny.
10
这些账目必须由一家外聘审计员的公司来稽查.

zhè xiē zhàng mù bì xū yóu yī jiā wài pìn shěn jì yuán de gōng sī lái jī chá.

The accounts have to be audited by a firm of external auditors.

Cultural Notes for 稽

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, bowing is a sign of respect and humility. The character's meaning of 'bowing to the ground' reflects the importance of respect in social interactions, especially in rituals and formal occasions.

Word Family of 稽

Words Containing This Character8
滑稽huájīcomical
稽查inspection
稽jīto inspect
无稽之谈complete nonsense (idiom)無稽之談
无稽nonsense無稽
稽查员inspector稽查員
荒诞无稽ridiculous荒誕無稽
荒唐无稽preposterous荒唐無稽
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 滑稽 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 稽

While both mean 'to check,' 稽 is more formal and often used in legal or academic contexts, whereas 检查 is more common in everyday situations.