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皙 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
皙xīwhite; a kind of dateg, 13 strokes, radical 白, rank #37561, Very Hard
xī(xi1)xi T1
  1. 1white; a kind of date
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March 24, 2026

皙xī(xi1)

The character 皙 (xī) primarily means 'white' and can refer to a pale or bright complexion. It can also denote a type of date fruit, highlighting its use in specific culinary contexts. This character is often used in literary or poetic language to describe beauty and purity.

Strokes13Radical白Frequency#37561DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, a fair complexion is often associated with beauty and status, making the character 皙 particularly relevant in discussions of aesthetics. The word is sometimes used in literature to evoke an image of pristine beauty.

Memory tip

Think of 皙 (xī) as a 'white' character. The left part resembles a woman's face (the radical for 'woman' 女), symbolizing beauty, while the right part looks like a shiny surface (the radical for 'white' 白). Imagine a beautiful woman with a radiant white complexion, and you can remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 皙

xī(xi1)
1white; a kind of date
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 皙

皙Simplified
13Strokes
白Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 皙

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Podcast: 皙

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AI study notes for 皙

Quick Contrast

白 (bái) - use 皙 (xī) for a nuanced, literary description of a pale complexion, while 白 (bái) is more common and straightforward.

Usage Notes

皙 is more commonly used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 喜 (xǐ), which means 'to be happy.' It is often used in phrases like 皙丽 (xī lì) to describe a lovely complexion.

HSK Study Tips

皙 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary lists, but it connects well with words related to beauty and color at lower levels. Focus on understanding its usage in poetic contexts, and try to use it when describing people or things with a bright appearance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 皙 with other characters that sound similar, such as 厚 (hòu, meaning thick). For example, using 皙 to describe something thick instead of its correct usage can lead to confusion. Always remember that 皙 refers to brightness or paleness.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 皙

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Etymology of 皙

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

white

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

Origin

皙 = 白 + 析. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 皙

IDS Structure⿱析白
皙Full character
=
析xi1
top
白Bai2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 皙?

How to say white; a kind of date in Chinese

“white; a kind of date” in Chinese is皙xī

The character 皙 (xī) primarily means 'white' and can refer to a pale or bright complexion. It can also denote a type of date fruit, highlighting its use in specific culinary contexts. This character is often used in literary or poetic language to describe beauty and purity.

When to use 皙

皙 is more commonly used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like 喜 (xǐ), which means 'to be happy.' It is often used in phrases like 皙丽 (xī lì) to describe a lovely complexion.

皙 or something close to it

白 (bái) - use 皙 (xī) for a nuanced, literary description of a pale complexion, while 白 (bái) is more common and straightforward.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 皙 with other characters that sound similar, such as 厚 (hòu, meaning thick). For example, using 皙 to describe something thick instead of its correct usage can lead to confusion. Always remember that 皙 refers to brightness or paleness.

Write 皙

皙

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

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Grammar patterns of 皙

皙 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他为那乌黑的头发和白____的面庞所倾倒。

He's hypnotized by that black hair and that white face.

Example sentences for 皙 (4)

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1
他为那乌黑的头发和白皙的面庞所倾倒。

tā wèi nà wūhēi de tóufa hé bái xī de miàn páng suǒ qīngdǎo。

He's hypnotized by that black hair and that white face.
2
她细腻光滑、美丽白皙的脖子上戴着一条精致的链子。

tā xìnì guānghuá、 měilì bái xī de bózi shàng dài zhe yī tiáo jīngzhì de liàn zi。

She wore a fine chain about her alabaster neck.
3
细小的、柔软白皙的指节,法文该怎么说?

xì xiǎo de、 róuruǎn bái xī de zhǐ jié, fǎ wén gāi zěnme shuō?

How do you say blond little cushioned knuckles in French?
4
黑色的包头巾使她的皮肤显得更加白皙.

hēisè de bāo tóu jīn shǐ tā de pífū xiǎnde gèngjiā bái xī.

The black wimple enhanced the whiteness of her skin.

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Word Family of 皙

Words containing this character4
清晰qīngxīclear
明晰clear
清晰度definition
晰xīclear
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 皙

What does 清晰 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 皙

No, 皙 is mainly found in literary contexts and isn't typically used in everyday conversation.

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