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觐 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
觐jìnan audience with the emperorv, 15 strokes, radical 见, rank #36603, Very Hard
觐jìn(history) to have an audience with the Emperorunknown, 15 strokes, radical 见, rank #36603, Very Hard
jìn(jin4) T4
  1. 1an audience with the emperor
  2. 2(history) to have an audience with the Emperor
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

觐(覲)jìn(jin4)

The character 觐 (jìn) means to have an audience with the emperor, typically used in a historical context. It signifies a formal presentation before a ruler, emphasizing respect and hierarchy in traditional Chinese governance.

Strokes15Radical见Frequency#36603DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In ancient China, having an audience with the emperor was a significant event, often associated with important state matters and royal decrees. Such audiences were highly ritualized, reflecting the deep respect for authority and the hierarchical structure of society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand palace where courtiers line up to 见 (jiàn) the emperor. The character 觐 combines the radical for 'to speak' (言) on the left, suggesting communication, with the right component signifying 'to present,' making it memorable as a formal audience with a powerful figure.

Meanings of 觐

jìn(jin4)
1an audience with the emperor
2(history) to have an audience with the Emperor
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 觐

觐Simplified
覲Traditional
15Strokes
见Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 觐

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Podcast: 觐

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AI Study Notes for 觐

Usage Notes

Since 觐 is a historical term, it's rarely used in modern conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar sounding words like 见 (jiàn), which means 'to see.' This word has a formal register and is not commonly found in everyday language.

HSK Study Tips

While 觐 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, students at advanced levels should focus on historical and literary texts where this term may appear. Understanding 觐 can deepen knowledge of imperial practices and enhance reading comprehension of classical texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 觐 in casual contexts, but it is primarily historical. For example, saying '我想觐他' (I want to jìn him) is incorrect; use 见 (jiàn) instead for casual encounters.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 觐

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Etymology of 觐

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

meet

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 觐

  1. 1The meaning half见 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half堇 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymeet
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 觐? 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 觐?

Decomposition of 觐

IDS Structure⿰堇见
觐Full Character
=
堇jin3
left
见jian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 觐?

How to say an audience with the emperor in Chinese

“an audience with the emperor” in Chinese is觐jìn

The character 觐 (jìn) means to have an audience with the emperor, typically used in a historical context. It signifies a formal presentation before a ruler, emphasizing respect and hierarchy in traditional Chinese governance.

When to use 觐

Since 觐 is a historical term, it's rarely used in modern conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar sounding words like 见 (jiàn), which means 'to see.' This word has a formal register and is not commonly found in everyday language.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 觐 in casual contexts, but it is primarily historical. For example, saying '我想觐他' (I want to jìn him) is incorrect; use 见 (jiàn) instead for casual encounters.

Write 觐

觐

Practice writing 觐 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 觐

Words Containing This Character3
觐jìn(history) to have an audience with the Emperor覲
朝觐hajj (Islam)朝覲
觐见to have an audience (with the Emperor)覲見
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 觐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 觐

No, 觐 is largely a historical term and is not commonly used in contemporary language.

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