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佳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
jiābeautifula, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4388, Hard
jiāfinea, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4388, Hard
jiāgooda, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4388, Hard
jiāgood, auspicious; beautiful; delightfula, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4388, Hard
jiāsurname Jiaunknown, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #4388, Hard
jiā(Jia1) T1
  1. 1beautiful
  2. 2fine
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
jiā(Jia1)

The character 佳 (jiā) conveys the meaning of beauty, goodness, and excellence. It is often used to describe something that is fine or delightful, and can refer to both physical beauty and quality. In various contexts, it can also be part of names or phrases that denote auspiciousness.

Strokes8RadicalFrequency#4388DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the notion of beauty and quality is deeply appreciated, often reflected in arts, poetry, and even daily expressions like 佳节 (auspicious festival), which highlights the importance of celebrating good times.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful jade (which sounds like 'jiā') glimmering in the sunlight, representing excellence and beauty. The character 佳 is composed of the radical for 'good' (好) which visually reinforces its meaning.

Meanings of 佳

jiā(Jia1)
1beautiful
2fine
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 佳

Simplified
8Strokes
Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#4388Frequency Rank

Podcast: 佳

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 佳

Quick Contrast

优秀 (yōu xiù) vs 佳 (jiā): use 佳 when emphasizing beauty or delightfulness, while 优秀 focuses on excellence or superiority in quality.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a beautiful jade (which sounds like 'jiā') glimmering in the sunlight, representing excellence and beauty. The character 佳 is composed of the radical for 'good' (好) which visually reinforces its meaning.

Usage Notes

佳 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, but it is particularly prevalent in written language and idiomatic expressions. Be cautious with tone pronunciation; the first tone must be maintained to avoid confusion with other characters. Common collocations include 佳品 (fine goods) and 佳音 (good news).

HSK Study Tips

Though 佳 is not a standard HSK word, it appears in HSK 3 and above vocabulary related to beauty and quality. Learners should focus on recognizing it in phrases and understanding its nuances in positive descriptions.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the notion of beauty and quality is deeply appreciated, often reflected in arts, poetry, and even daily expressions like 佳节 (auspicious festival), which highlights the importance of celebrating good times.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 佳 with similar characters like 加 (jiā, to add) or 夹 (jiā, to pinch), leading to incorrect meanings. Remember that 佳 specifically relates to beauty and quality.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 佳

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Etymology of 佳

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

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 圭 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

person

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 佳?

Decomposition of 佳

IDS Structure⿰亻圭
Full Character
=
ren2
left
gui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 佳?

Write 佳

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

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Grammar Patterns of 佳

佳 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高,not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 5 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

游泳或许是现有的最____锻炼方式。

Swimming is probably the best form of exercise you can get.

Common Confusions with 佳

vs
jiǎ

Similar pronunciation but different meanings.

vs
jiā

Similar sound and shape but different meanings.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "beautiful"?

or

Example Sentences for 佳 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
游泳或许是现有的最佳锻炼方式。

yóu yǒng huò xǔ shì xiàn yǒu de zuì jiā duàn liàn fāng shì。

Swimming is probably the best form of exercise you can get.
2
卡姆登市场是周末的最佳去处。

kǎ mǔ dēng shì cháng shì zhōu mò de zuì jiā qù chǔ。

Camden Market is the place to be on a Saturday or Sunday.
3
储蓄方案是现有的最佳零售投资产品。

chǔ xù fāng àn shì xiàn yǒu de zuì jiā líng shòu tóu zī chǎn pǐn。

Savings schemes are the best retail investment products on offer.
4
这是谈情说爱的绝佳时机。

zhè shì tán qíng shuō ài de jué jiā shí jī。

This is an excellent time for affairs of the heart.
5
所以这可能是买房子的绝佳时机。

suǒ yǐ zhè kě néng shì mǎi fáng zǐ de jué jiā shí jī。

So this could be the perfect time to buy a home.
6
晚饭就着鲜脆的色拉尝尝这道佳肴。

wǎn fàn jiù zháo xiān cuì de sè lā cháng cháng zhè dào jiā yáo。

Try this tasty dish for supper with a crispy salad.
7
这幅油画在佳士得的拍卖会上被交易商拍走。

zhè fú yóu huà zài jiā shì dé de pāi mài huì shàng bèi jiāo yì shāng pāi zǒu。

The painting was bought by dealers at the Christie's sale.
8
他们称划船是最佳运动,它可以锻炼每一处主要肌肉群。

tā mén chēng huá chuán shì zuì jiā yùn dòng, , tā kě yǐ duàn liàn měi yī chǔ zhǔ yào jī ròu。

They call rowing the perfect sport. It exercises every major muscle group.
9
他的喜怒无常可能是身体欠佳所致。

tā de xǐ nù wú cháng kě néng shì shēn tǐ qiàn jiā suǒ zhì。

His moodiness may have been caused by his poor health.
10
几年后,卡佳因患癌症在伦敦病逝。

jī nián hòu, , kǎ jiā yīn huàn ái zhèng zài lún dūn bìng。

A few years later, Katya succumbed to cancer in London.

Cultural Notes for 佳

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the notion of beauty and quality is deeply appreciated, often reflected in arts, poetry, and even daily expressions like 佳节 (auspicious festival), which highlights the importance of celebrating good times.

Word Family of 佳

Words Containing This Character18
最佳zuìjiāoptimum
jiāfine
佳人beautiful woman
佳能Canon (Japanese company)
佳丽beauty佳麗
佳作masterpiece
佳节jiājiéfestive day佳節
欠佳suboptimal
康佳Kongka (brand)
佳肴jiāyáofine food佳餚
绝佳exceptionally good絕佳
佳绩good result佳績
佳酿excellent wine佳釀
佳话story or deed that captures the imagination and is spread far and wide佳話
上佳excellent
佳期wedding day
俱佳excellent
佳木斯Kiamusze or Jiamusi prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang province 黑龍江|黑龙江[Hēi​lóng​jiāng] in northeast China
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 最佳 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 佳

Common phrases include 佳品 (fine goods) and 佳音 (good news), both of which highlight positive attributes.