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裔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
裔yìdescendantsnr, 13 strokes, radical 衣, rank #6033, Hard
裔yìfrontiernr, 13 strokes, radical 衣, rank #6033, Hard
裔yìprogeny, descendantsnr, 13 strokes, radical 衣, rank #6033, Hard
yì(yi4)yi T4
  1. 1descendants
  2. 2frontier
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March 24, 2026

裔yì(yi4)

The character 裔 (yì) refers to descendants or progeny, often emphasizing lineage or heritage. It can also denote the concept of frontiers, particularly in the context of territories or borders. Commonly used in formal contexts when discussing familial or cultural ancestry.

Strokes13Radical衣Frequency#6033DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, understanding one's ancestry and descendants is highly valued, often seen in practices like ancestral worship and family reunions during festivals. The character reflects this importance of lineage.

Memory Tip

Imagine a family tree (the character's form suggests a tree structure) with branches representing descendants. 'Yì' sounds like 'yeet,' which you might use to 'throw' your roots into the future, connecting the idea of ancestry with the action of continuing a lineage.

Meanings of 裔

yì(yi4)
1descendants
2frontier
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 裔

裔Simplified
13Strokes
衣Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#6033Frequency Rank

Podcast: 裔

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Podcast: 裔

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AI Study Notes for 裔

Quick Contrast

移民 (yímín, immigrant) - 裔 emphasizes lineage or heritage, while 移民 focuses on the act of moving to a new country.

Usage Notes

This character is often used in formal contexts and can be found in phrases like '华裔' (Huáyì), meaning 'Chinese descendants'. A common mistake is confusing it with '裔' (yì) used informally, which may lead to an awkward or incorrect tone in conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Though 裔 is not currently included in the HSK levels, it relates to words about family and lineage, which are common in HSK vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing how this character is used in context and its relationship to other family-related terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 裔 with similar characters, leading to misuse in phrases. For example, saying '我有很多裔' (I have many descendants) instead of '我有很多后裔' (I have many descendants) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 裔

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Etymology of 裔

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

bright

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

Origin

裔 = 冏 + 衣. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 裔

IDS Structure⿱衣冏
裔Full Character
=
衣yi1
top
冏jiong3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 裔?

How to say descendants in Chinese

“descendants” in Chinese is裔yì

The character 裔 (yì) refers to descendants or progeny, often emphasizing lineage or heritage. It can also denote the concept of frontiers, particularly in the context of territories or borders. Commonly used in formal contexts when discussing familial or cultural ancestry.

When to use 裔

This character is often used in formal contexts and can be found in phrases like '华裔' (Huáyì), meaning 'Chinese descendants'. A common mistake is confusing it with '裔' (yì) used informally, which may lead to an awkward or incorrect tone in conversation.

裔 or something close to it

移民 (yímín, immigrant) - 裔 emphasizes lineage or heritage, while 移民 focuses on the act of moving to a new country.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 裔 with similar characters, leading to misuse in phrases. For example, saying '我有很多裔' (I have many descendants) instead of '我有很多后裔' (I have many descendants) is incorrect.

Write 裔

裔

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

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Grammar Patterns of 裔

裔 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 3 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 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

英国的亚____年轻人通常被吸引到医学、法律及工程专业。

Traditionally young Asians in Britain have gravitated towards medicine, law and engineering.

Example Sentences for 裔 (7)

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1
英国的亚裔年轻人通常被吸引到医学、法律及工程专业。

yīng guó de yà yì nián qīng rén tōng cháng bèi xī yǐn dào yī xué、 、 fǎ lǜ jí gōng chéng zhuān。

Traditionally young Asians in Britain have gravitated towards medicine, law and engineering.
2
差异在于，你们是英国血统，而我们是拉丁裔的。

chà yì zài yú， ， nǐ mén shì yīng guó xiě， tǒng ， ér wǒ mén shì lā dīng。

The difference is, you are Anglo-Saxons, we are Latins.
3
她告诉我们她是某苏格兰勋爵的后裔。

tā gào sù wǒ mén tā shì mǒu sū gé lán xūn jué de hòu yì。

She told us she was descended from some Scottish Lord.
4
亚裔英国人发起了一项呼吁消除种族歧视的运动。

yà yì yīng guó rén fā qǐ le yī xiàng hū xū xiāo chú zhǒng zú qí shì de yùn dòng。

British Asians have begun a campaign calling for an end to discrimination.
5
那所学校里会聚了黑人、白人和西班牙裔人。

nà suǒ xué xiào lǐ huì jù le hēi rén、 、 bái rén hé xī bān yá yì。

It's a school that's brought blacks and whites and Hispanics together.
6
他一家人试图融入白人和西班牙裔社区。

tā yī jiā rén shì tú róng rù bái rén hé xī bān yá yì shè qū。

His family tried to assimilate into the white and Hispanic communities.
7
阿米德医生的助手是一位年轻的亚裔护士。

ā mǐ dé yī shēng de zhù shǒu shì yī wèi nián qīng de yà yì hù shì。

Dr Amid was assisted by a young Asian nurse.

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Word Family of 裔

Words Containing This Character8
裔yìfrontier
后裔hòuyìdescendant後裔
华裔huáyìethnic Chinese華裔
亚裔of Asian descent亞裔
族裔ethnic group
苗裔offspring
日裔of Japanese descent
支与流裔related支與流裔
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 裔

What does 后裔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 裔

It's more commonly used in formal or literary contexts rather than everyday speech.

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