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極 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
極jíextreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; polex, 12 strokes, radical 木, rank #73489, Very Hard
jí(ji2)ji T2
  1. 1extreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; pole
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March 24, 2026

極jí(ji2)

The character 極 (jí) means extreme or utmost, often used to describe the highest degree of something. It can refer to the poles of the Earth or to the final point in a sequence, indicating the furthest or most intense form of something.

Strokes12Radical木Frequency#73489DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of extremes is often reflected in philosophical discussions, such as the idea of balance in Daoism, where extremes should be avoided to maintain harmony.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant mountain (山) with a flag at its peak, representing the ultimate point you can reach (極). The character's form combines the radical for 'wood' (木) and suggests a 'top' or 'extreme' point where something stands out.

Meanings of 極

jí(ji2)
1extreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; pole
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 極

極Simplified
12Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 極

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Podcast: 極

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AI Study Notes for 極

Quick Contrast

极 (jí) vs 尽 (jìn) — use 极 when emphasizing the highest degree or extremity, while 尽 focuses on completeness or the end of something.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 極 with its homophone 级 (jí), which means level or grade. This character is generally used in both formal and informal contexts, but is more common in written language. Common collocations include 極端 (extreme) and 極限 (limit).

HSK Study Tips

Although 極 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it is relevant for learners progressing beyond HSK 4 as it appears in various contexts related to extremes or limits. Pay attention to its usage in phrases and idiomatic expressions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 極 with similar sounding characters like 及 (jí), which means 'and' or 'to reach'. For example, saying 極到 (jí dào) instead of 及到 (jí dào) leads to incorrect expressions of reaching something.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 極

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Etymology of 極

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

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 及 represents the sound. Simplified form of 極.

Memory Hint

wood

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

Origin

極 = 木 + 亟. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 極

IDS Structure⿰木亟
極Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
亟ji2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 極?

How to say extreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; pole in Chinese

“extreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; pole” in Chinese is極jí

The character 極 (jí) means extreme or utmost, often used to describe the highest degree of something. It can refer to the poles of the Earth or to the final point in a sequence, indicating the furthest or most intense form of something.

When to use 極

Be cautious not to confuse 極 with its homophone 级 (jí), which means level or grade. This character is generally used in both formal and informal contexts, but is more common in written language. Common collocations include 極端 (extreme) and 極限 (limit).

極 or something close to it

极 (jí) vs 尽 (jìn) — use 极 when emphasizing the highest degree or extremity, while 尽 focuses on completeness or the end of something.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 極 with similar sounding characters like 及 (jí), which means 'and' or 'to reach'. For example, saying 極到 (jí dào) instead of 及到 (jí dào) leads to incorrect expressions of reaching something.

Write 極

極

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

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Word Family of 極

Words Containing This Character20
极了extremely極了
积极jījíactive積極
极jíextremely極
极大maximum極大
极其jíqíextremely極其
极端jíduānextreme極端
极为jíwéiextremely極為
极度jídùextremely極度
极限jíxiànlimit極限
积极性zeal積極性
终极ultimate終極
消极xiāojínegative消極
极品best quality極品
极力jílìat all costs極力
北极běijíthe North Pole北極
南极nánjísouth pole南極
极致peak極致
至极very至極
极点pole極點
电极electrode電極
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 極

What does 极了 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 極

While it is more common in written contexts, you may encounter it in discussions about extremes or limits.

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