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茴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
茴huífennel, aniseedn, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #68399, Very Hard
huí(hui2) T2
  1. 1fennel, aniseed
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

茴huí(hui2)

The character 茴 (huí) refers to fennel and aniseed, both of which are aromatic herbs commonly used in cooking and traditional medicine. It often appears in culinary contexts, especially in relation to flavoring dishes or in herbal remedies.

Strokes9Radical艹Frequency#68399DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, fennel is valued for its warming properties and is often used in herbal formulas to aid digestion, reflecting the holistic views of health in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef (the character's top part resembling a chef's hat) sprinkling fragrant fennel seeds (the bottom part looks like little seeds) to create a delicious dish. The sound 'huí' can be remembered by picturing the 'whirl' of aromatic spices in the air.

Meanings of 茴

huí(hui2)
1fennel, aniseed
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 茴

茴Simplified
9Strokes
艹Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 茴

JasonAmy

Podcast: 茴

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 茴

Quick Contrast

茴 (huí, fennel/anise) vs 香菜 (xiāngcài, cilantro) — use 茴 for sweet, aromatic herbs, while 香菜 refers specifically to the more pungent cilantro.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 茴 with similar-sounding words or characters in Mandarin. This term is used in both formal and informal contexts, primarily in culinary discussions. Be cautious with pronunciation, ensuring you use the correct tones to avoid confusion with unrelated words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 茴 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary lists, it is beneficial for learners at higher levels (HSK 4 and above) to familiarize themselves with food-related terms. Students should focus on the context of use in recipes and discussions about flavors.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 茴 as 'huǐ' instead of the correct 'huí'. Additionally, some confuse it with other herbs like 香菜 (xiāngcài, cilantro), which can lead to misunderstandings in culinary contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 茴

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Etymology of 茴

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 回 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

herb

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 茴

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 回 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half回 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayherb
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 茴? 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 茴?

Decomposition of 茴

IDS Structure⿱艹回
茴Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
回hui2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 茴?

How to say fennel, aniseed in Chinese

“fennel, aniseed” in Chinese is茴huí

The character 茴 (huí) refers to fennel and aniseed, both of which are aromatic herbs commonly used in cooking and traditional medicine. It often appears in culinary contexts, especially in relation to flavoring dishes or in herbal remedies.

When to use 茴

Learners often confuse 茴 with similar-sounding words or characters in Mandarin. This term is used in both formal and informal contexts, primarily in culinary discussions. Be cautious with pronunciation, ensuring you use the correct tones to avoid confusion with unrelated words.

茴 or something close to it

茴 (huí, fennel/anise) vs 香菜 (xiāngcài, cilantro) — use 茴 for sweet, aromatic herbs, while 香菜 refers specifically to the more pungent cilantro.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 茴 as 'huǐ' instead of the correct 'huí'. Additionally, some confuse it with other herbs like 香菜 (xiāngcài, cilantro), which can lead to misunderstandings in culinary contexts.

Write 茴

茴

Practice writing 茴 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 茴

茴 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). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

把____香切成薄薄的小片。

Cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices.

Example Sentences for 茴 (2)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
把茴香切成薄薄的小片。

bǎ huí xiāng qiē chéng báo báo de xiǎo piàn。

Cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices.
2
空气里闻得到幽幽的大茴香和秋麒麟草的香味.

kōng qì lǐ wén dé dào yōu yōu de dà huí xiāng hé qiū qí lín cǎo de xiāng wèi.

A faint anise smell is on the air, goldenrod scent.

Word Family of 茴

Words Containing This Character3
茴香fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
茴huífennel
小茴香fennel
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 茴香 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 茴

You can say '我喜欢在汤里加茴香' (I like to add fennel to my soup).

Jason Recommends

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