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屺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
屺qǐa grassy knoll; a barren knollzg, 6 strokes, radical 山
屺qǐmountain without vegetationunknown, 6 strokes, radical 山
屺qǐthe residence of one's motherunknown, 6 strokes, radical 山
qǐ(qi3) T3
  1. 1a grassy knoll; a barren knoll
  2. 2mountain without vegetation
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March 24, 2026

屺qǐ(qi3)

The character 屺 (qǐ) refers to a grassy or barren knoll, often depicting a small elevation in the landscape. It can also symbolize a mountain that lacks vegetation, giving it a distinct appearance. This term is less commonly used in modern language but may appear in literary contexts or discussions about geography.

Strokes6Radical山
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese poetry, nature, including features like knolls and mountains, is often a subject of reflection and admiration. 屺 may appear in literary works that celebrate the beauty of rural landscapes and the tranquility of one's mother’s home.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, grassy hill where you might find a mother calling out to her children. The character 屺 resembles a roof (the top of the knoll) over a mother’s home, connecting the sound 'qǐ' with the image of a nurturing space atop a hill.

Meanings of 屺

qǐ(qi3)
1a grassy knoll; a barren knoll
2mountain without vegetation
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 屺

屺Simplified
6Strokes
山Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 屺

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Podcast: 屺

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AI Study Notes for 屺

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, which can lead to confusion about its context. It is advisable to use it in more formal or literary contexts. Be careful with the pronunciation, as misplacing the tone can lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Though 屺 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, students at this level should focus on related characters like 山 (shān, mountain) and 岭 (lǐng, ridge) to build a broader understanding of geographical terms. Familiarizing oneself with similar words will help contextualize its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 屺 with similar characters like 山 (shān) due to their related meanings about mountains and hills. Ensure to distinguish between them based on context, as 屺 specifically refers to a knoll without vegetation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 屺

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Etymology of 屺

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

mountain

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 屺

  1. 1The meaning half山 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half己 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymountain
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 屺? 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 屺?

Decomposition of 屺

IDS Structure⿰山己
屺Full Character
=
山Shan1
left
己ji3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 屺?

How to say a grassy knoll; a barren knoll in Chinese

“a grassy knoll; a barren knoll” in Chinese is屺qǐ

The character 屺 (qǐ) refers to a grassy or barren knoll, often depicting a small elevation in the landscape. It can also symbolize a mountain that lacks vegetation, giving it a distinct appearance. This term is less commonly used in modern language but may appear in literary contexts or discussions about geography.

When to use 屺

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, which can lead to confusion about its context. It is advisable to use it in more formal or literary contexts. Be careful with the pronunciation, as misplacing the tone can lead to misunderstandings with similar-sounding words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 屺 with similar characters like 山 (shān) due to their related meanings about mountains and hills. Ensure to distinguish between them based on context, as 屺 specifically refers to a knoll without vegetation.

Write 屺

屺

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 屺

Words Containing This Character1
屺qǐsee also 岵[hù]
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 屺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 屺

No, 屺 is more commonly found in literary texts and is not used frequently in everyday speech.

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