Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
癸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癸guǐ10th heavenly stemzg, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
癸guǐtenth of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
癸guǐtenth in orderunknown, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
癸guǐletter "J" or roman "X" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etcunknown, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
癸guǐancient Chinese compass point: 15°unknown, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
癸guǐdecaunknown, 9 strokes, radical 癶, rank #73058, Very Hard
guǐ(gui3)gui T3
  1. 110th heavenly stem
  2. 2tenth of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

癸guǐ(gui3)

癸 (guǐ) is the tenth of the ten Heavenly Stems, which are used in traditional Chinese calendars and astrology. It represents the element of water and is often associated with the notion of completeness or finality in a sequence. In various contexts, it can indicate the letter 'J' in alphabetical lists or the compass direction of 15°.

Strokes9Radical癶Frequency#73058DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

The Heavenly Stems, including 癸, are integral to Chinese cosmology and are used in traditional festivals, astrology, and fortune-telling, reflecting the deep connection between time and nature in Chinese culture.

Memory tip

Imagine a wise old sage (癸) sitting at the 10th spot in a grand hall, representing water flowing down a stream. The character itself looks like a flowing river, and the pronunciation 'guǐ' can be remembered as 'gui' like the sound of water gushing.

Meanings of 癸

guǐ(gui3)
110th heavenly stem
2tenth of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1]
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 癸 means.

About 癸

癸Simplified
9Strokes
癶Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癸

JasonAmy

Podcast: 癸

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 癸

Usage Notes

癸 is primarily used in formal contexts such as astrology and traditional calendars, making it less common in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tone; 'guǐ' has a falling-rising tone that can change meanings if mispronounced. It is often paired with its companion stems in discussions of time and elements.

HSK Study Tips

Though 癸 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding its role in the Heavenly Stems can enhance your grasp of Chinese timekeeping and cultural references. Focus on how it relates to the other nine stems and practice its pronunciation to distinguish it from similar-sounding terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 癸 with similar-sounding characters like 鬼 (guǐ, meaning ghost). Remember that 癸 relates to the Heavenly Stems while 鬼 has an entirely different meaning. Additionally, be careful with the tone, as mispronouncing it could lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癸

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 癸 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 癸 to you

Let me explain 癸 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 癸 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How well do you know 癸?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 癸 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 癸

Decomposition of 癸

IDS Structure⿱癶天
癸Full character
=
癶bo1
top
天tian1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 癸?

How to say 10th heavenly stem in Chinese

“10th heavenly stem” in Chinese is癸guǐ

癸 (guǐ) is the tenth of the ten Heavenly Stems, which are used in traditional Chinese calendars and astrology. It represents the element of water and is often associated with the notion of completeness or finality in a sequence. In various contexts, it can indicate the letter 'J' in alphabetical lists or the compass direction of 15°.

When to use 癸

癸 is primarily used in formal contexts such as astrology and traditional calendars, making it less common in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tone; 'guǐ' has a falling-rising tone that can change meanings if mispronounced. It is often paired with its companion stems in discussions of time and elements.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 癸 with similar-sounding characters like 鬼 (guǐ, meaning ghost). Remember that 癸 relates to the Heavenly Stems while 鬼 has an entirely different meaning. Additionally, be careful with the tone, as mispronouncing it could lead to misunderstandings.

Write 癸

癸

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 癸?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Word Family of 癸

Words containing this character8
癸guǐdeca
癸卯fortieth year J4 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1963 or 2023
癸未twentieth year J8 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 2003 or 2063
癸丑fiftieth year J2 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1973 or 2033
癸酉tenth year J10 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1993 or 2053
癸亥sixtieth year J12 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1983 or 2043
癸巳thirtieth year J6 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 2013 or 2073
天癸period
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 癸

What does 癸卯 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 癸

The Heavenly Stems are a series of ten characters used in traditional Chinese calendars to denote years, months, days, and even hours, forming a cycle with the Twelve Earthly Branches.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 癸?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab