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詰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
to question, to interrogatex, 13 strokes, radical 言, Very Hard
(ji2) T2
  1. 1to question, to interrogate
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(ji2)

The character 詰 (jí) primarily means to question or to interrogate. It is often used in contexts involving inquiry or examination, such as questioning someone's motives or understanding. It conveys a sense of probing for information or clarification.

Strokes13RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, questioning or interrogating can often be seen as a way to show concern or care, especially in familial or educational settings, contrasting with more confrontational styles that might be found elsewhere.

Memory Tip

Imagine a detective (the radical '言' which means 'speech') aggressively questioning a suspect (the component '乞' which resembles a person pleading). The sound 'jí' can be remembered as the detective saying 'Jeez, I need answers!'

Meanings of 詰

(ji2)
1to question, to interrogate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 詰

Simplified
13Strokes
Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 詰

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Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 詰

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a detective (the radical '言' which means 'speech') aggressively questioning a suspect (the component '乞' which resembles a person pleading). The sound 'jí' can be remembered as the detective saying 'Jeez, I need answers!'

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the tone; 'jí' is pronounced with a rising tone, which can easily be confused with other words if mispronounced. It is used more in formal contexts, especially in legal or academic discussions. Common collocations include '詰問' (to interrogate) and '質問' (to question).

HSK Study Tips

Although 詰 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to other words involving questioning or dialogue at higher levels. Focus on recognizing its components and practicing its usage in sentences to enhance comprehension.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, questioning or interrogating can often be seen as a way to show concern or care, especially in familial or educational settings, contrasting with more confrontational styles that might be found elsewhere.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 詰 with similar-sounding characters like 记 (jì), which means 'to remember.' A common mistake would be saying '我记他' (I remember him) when they meant to say '我詰問他' (I interrogate him).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 詰

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Etymology of 詰

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 吉 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詰.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 詰?

Decomposition of 詰

IDS Structure⿰言吉
Full Character
=
yan2
left
Ji2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 詰?

Write 詰

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

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Cultural Notes for 詰

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, questioning or interrogating can often be seen as a way to show concern or care, especially in familial or educational settings, contrasting with more confrontational styles that might be found elsewhere.

Word Family of 詰

Words Containing This Character4
to scold
诘问to ask questions詰問
反诘rhetorical question反詰
盘诘to cross-examine (law)盤詰
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 诘 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 詰

You can use it in a sentence like '他詰問我為什麼遲到了' which means 'He interrogated me about why I was late.'