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挹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
挹yìto bale out; to pourn, 10 strokes, radical 扌
挹yìto ladle outunknown, 10 strokes, radical 扌
挹yìto dipunknown, 10 strokes, radical 扌
挹yìto pour outunknown, 10 strokes, radical 扌
yì(yi4) T4
  1. 1to bale out; to pour
  2. 2to ladle out
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March 24, 2026

挹yì(yi4)

The character 挹 (yì) primarily means 'to ladle out' or 'to pour,' often implying the action of transferring a liquid from one container to another. It can also denote the act of dipping or bailing out water. This term is less commonly used in daily conversation but may appear in literary or poetic contexts.

Strokes10Radical扌
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese tea culture, the act of pouring tea is often seen as an art form, where the precision and method of pouring reflect the skill of the host. This connection to the character 挹 emphasizes the importance of the act of pouring in social rituals.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with a large ladle, scooping water from a pond and pouring it into a bucket. The character 挹 resembles a ladle, with the left part suggesting the action of lifting and the right part hinting at the pouring motion. The pronunciation 'yì' can be remembered by thinking of 'yeet!' as you dump the water energetically.

Meanings of 挹

yì(yi4)
1to bale out; to pour
2to ladle out
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 挹

挹Simplified
10Strokes
扌Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 挹

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Podcast: 挹

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AI Study Notes for 挹

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 挹 with similar verbs like 倾 (qīng), which means 'to tilt' or 'to pour.' This character is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversation. Be careful with tones; 挹 is pronounced with the fourth tone, which can change the meaning if mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

Although 挹 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects well with other verbs related to movement and action, such as 倒 (dào) meaning 'to pour' or 'to dump.' Students should focus on the context in which this verb might be used, particularly in literary texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 挹 with the more common pouring verbs like 倒, leading to incorrect usage in casual contexts. For example, saying '我挹水' (Wǒ yì shuǐ) instead of '我倒水' (Wǒ dào shuǐ) for 'I pour water' is incorrect; use 倒 for everyday situations.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 挹

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Etymology of 挹

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

hand

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 挹

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half邑 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 挹? 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 挹?

Decomposition of 挹

IDS Structure⿰扌邑
挹Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
邑yi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 挹?

How to say to bale out; to pour in Chinese

“to bale out; to pour” in Chinese is挹yì

The character 挹 (yì) primarily means 'to ladle out' or 'to pour,' often implying the action of transferring a liquid from one container to another. It can also denote the act of dipping or bailing out water. This term is less commonly used in daily conversation but may appear in literary or poetic contexts.

When to use 挹

Common mistakes include confusing 挹 with similar verbs like 倾 (qīng), which means 'to tilt' or 'to pour.' This character is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversation. Be careful with tones; 挹 is pronounced with the fourth tone, which can change the meaning if mispronounced.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 挹 with the more common pouring verbs like 倒, leading to incorrect usage in casual contexts. For example, saying '我挹水' (Wǒ yì shuǐ) instead of '我倒水' (Wǒ dào shuǐ) for 'I pour water' is incorrect; use 倒 for everyday situations.

Write 挹

挹

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

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Word Family of 挹

Words Containing This Character1
挹yìto dip
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 挹 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 挹

挹 specifically refers to ladling or pouring out in a more delicate manner, while 倒 is a more general term for pouring or dumping.

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