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匛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
匛jiùThe character 匛 (jiù) is an uncommon character that is not frequently used in modern Mandarin. It can refer to a small box or a container, often associated with storage or carrying. Its usage is largely historical or in specific contexts rather than in everyday conversation.5 strokes, radical 匚
jiù(jiu4) T4
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March 24, 2026

匛jiù(jiu4)

The character 匛 (jiù) is an uncommon character that is not frequently used in modern Mandarin. It can refer to a small box or a container, often associated with storage or carrying. Its usage is largely historical or in specific contexts rather than in everyday conversation.

Strokes5Radical匚
Cultural Note

While匛 is not widely recognized in contemporary use, it may appear in historical documents or classical literature, reflecting the importance of storage and organization in traditional Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny box (匛) that holds precious items, and think of 'jiù' as 'jewels' kept safe in that box. The shape of the character can remind you of a simple structure that holds something valuable.

About 匛

匛Simplified
5Strokes
匚Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 匛

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Podcast: 匛

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AI Study Notes for 匛

Usage Notes

Due to its rarity, using 匛 in everyday conversation may confuse listeners; it's more appropriate in literary or historical texts. Be cautious with its pronunciation, as it is easily mixed up with more common words like '久' (jiǔ) meaning 'long time'.

HSK Study Tips

At the HSK level, this character is not included due to its obscurity, but learners can focus on similar characters that are more relevant, like '盒' (hé) for 'box' and '箱' (xiāng) for 'chest'. Understanding the context of less common characters can enhance comprehension of ancient texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 匛 with more common characters like 盒 (hé) for 'box'. An incorrect example would be saying, '我有一个匛' (Wǒ yǒu yī gè jiù), which sounds awkward; use 盒 instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 匛

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Etymology of 匛

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Semantic (meaning)匚
+
Phonetic (sound)久
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 匛

  1. 1The meaning half匚 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half久 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 匛? 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 匛?

Decomposition of 匛

IDS Structure⿷匚久
匛Full Character
=
匚fang1
enclosing
久jiu3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 匛?

How to say 匛 in Chinese

This in Chinese is匛jiù

The character 匛 (jiù) is an uncommon character that is not frequently used in modern Mandarin. It can refer to a small box or a container, often associated with storage or carrying. Its usage is largely historical or in specific contexts rather than in everyday conversation.

When to use 匛

Due to its rarity, using 匛 in everyday conversation may confuse listeners; it's more appropriate in literary or historical texts. Be cautious with its pronunciation, as it is easily mixed up with more common words like '久' (jiǔ) meaning 'long time'.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 匛 with more common characters like 盒 (hé) for 'box'. An incorrect example would be saying, '我有一个匛' (Wǒ yǒu yī gè jiù), which sounds awkward; use 盒 instead.

Write 匛

匛

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 匛

No, 匛 is quite rare and not typically used in everyday Mandarin.

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