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骑 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
骑jìto ride (an animal or bike)HSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑jì(Taiwan) saddle horseHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑jìto sit astrideHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑jìmounted soldierHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑jìclassifier for saddle-horsesHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑jìto ride, to mount; cavalryHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qíto ride (an animal or bike)HSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qí(Taiwan) saddle horseHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qíto sit astrideHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qímounted soldierHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qíclassifier for saddle-horsesHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
骑qíto ride, to mount; cavalryHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 马, rank #1838, Medium
qí(qi2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1to ride (an animal or bike)
  2. 2(Taiwan) saddle horse
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

骑(騎)qí(qi2)

The character 骑 (qí) means 'to ride' and is commonly used when referring to riding animals, such as horses, or vehicles like bicycles. It suggests the action of sitting astride or mounting an object, often associated with movement or travel.

Strokes11Radical马Frequency#1838DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, horseback riding has historical significance, especially in ancient dynasties where cavalry played a crucial role in warfare. Today, riding is also associated with leisure and tourism, particularly in rural areas.

Memory Tip

Imagine a rider on a horse, where the horse's legs are represented by the two legs of the character 骑. The top part resembles the act of mounting, and the sound 'qí' can remind you of 'key'—the key to adventure is riding!

Meanings of 骑

qí(qi2)
primary
1to ride (an animal or bike)
2(Taiwan) saddle horse
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 骑

骑Simplified
騎Traditional
11Strokes
马Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1838Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 骑

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Podcast: 骑

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AI Study Notes for 骑

Quick Contrast

骑 (qí) vs 乘 (chéng): choose 骑 when referring specifically to riding animals or bicycles, while 乘 is used for boarding vehicles like buses or trains.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 骑 with other similar verbs like 乘 (chéng), which means 'to take' or 'to ride' in a broader sense. This character is used in both informal and formal contexts, and learners should pay attention to its usage in phrases like 骑车 (qí chē) for riding a bike.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 骑 connects well with other transportation-related vocabulary such as 走 (zǒu, to walk) and 坐 (zuò, to sit). Students should focus on forming sentences that describe their travel experiences.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 骑 with 乘, leading to incorrect phrases like 乘马 (chéng mǎ) instead of 骑马 (qí mǎ). Remember, 骑 specifically refers to riding in a mounted position.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 骑

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Etymology of 骑

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

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 奇 represents the sound. Simplified form of 騎.

Memory Hint

horse

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 骑

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 奇 represents the sound. Simplified form of 騎.

  1. 1The meaning half马 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half奇 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhorse
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 骑? 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 骑?

Decomposition of 骑

IDS Structure⿰马奇
骑Full Character
=
马Ma3
left
奇ji1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 骑?

How to say to ride (an animal or bike) in Chinese

“to ride (an animal or bike)” in Chinese is骑jì

The character 骑 (qí) means 'to ride' and is commonly used when referring to riding animals, such as horses, or vehicles like bicycles. It suggests the action of sitting astride or mounting an object, often associated with movement or travel.

When to use 骑

Common mistakes include confusing 骑 with other similar verbs like 乘 (chéng), which means 'to take' or 'to ride' in a broader sense. This character is used in both informal and formal contexts, and learners should pay attention to its usage in phrases like 骑车 (qí chē) for riding a bike.

骑 or something close to it

骑 (qí) vs 乘 (chéng): choose 骑 when referring specifically to riding animals or bicycles, while 乘 is used for boarding vehicles like buses or trains.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 骑 with 乘, leading to incorrect phrases like 乘马 (chéng mǎ) instead of 骑马 (qí mǎ). Remember, 骑 specifically refers to riding in a mounted position.

Write 骑

骑

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 骑

骑 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons5
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

This pattern emphasizes the action of riding, often indicating specifics about the action.

他是骑马的。

Tā shì qímǎ de.

He is the one who rides horses.

Exercise 1 of 1

Build the Sentence

He is the one who rides horses.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Usage Notes for 骑

Mixing up riding verbsCommon Error

Learners often confuse 骑 (qí) with other verbs related to riding. Remember that 骑 specifically refers to riding animals or bicycles.

1

我骑自行车。

I ride a bicycle.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我____自行车。

I ride a bicycle.

Example Sentences for 骑 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
最近我开始经常散步和骑自行车。

zuì jìn wǒ kāi shǐ jīng cháng sàn bù hé qí zì háng chē。

Recently I've started to do a lot of walking and cycling.
2
最高骑士勋位是嘉德勋位。

zuì gāo qí shì xūn wèi shì jiā dé xūn wèi。

The highest Order of Knighthood is the Order of the Garter.
3
火车的平均速度比我们骑自行车的速度快不了多少。

huǒ chē de píng jūn sù dù bǐ wǒ mén qí zì háng chē de sù dù kuài bù le duō shǎo。

The train's average speed was no better than that of our bicycles.
4
她梦想成为马戏团中的一名无鞍马骑手。

tā mèng xiǎng chéng wéi mǎ xì tuán zhōng de yī míng wú ān mǎ qí shǒu。

She dreamed of being a bareback rider in a circus.
5
斯特凡诺骑一辆摩托车放羊。

sī tè fán nuò qí yī liàng mó tuō chē fàng yáng。

Stefano used a motor cycle to herd the sheep.
6
别人给娜奥米一匹小型马并教会她如何侧骑马。

bié rén gěi nà ào mǐ yī pǐ xiǎo xíng mǎ bìng jiào huì tā rú hé cè qí mǎ。

Naomi was given a pony and taught to ride side-saddle.
7
理查德·邓伍迪在职业赛马骑师冠军赛中领先其他选手。

lǐ chá dé· · dèng wǔ dí zài zhí yè sài mǎ qí shī guān jūn sài zhōng lǐng xiān qí tā xuǎn。

Richard Dunwoody is in front in the jockeys' title race.
8
有很多可以骑车的宁静小路。

yǒu hěn duō kě yǐ qí chē de níng jìng xiǎo lù。

There are a multitude of small quiet roads to cycle along.
9
过去有成群结队的年轻人骑着摩托车四处游荡。

guò qù yǒu chéng qún jié duì de nián qīng rén qí zháo mó tuō chē sì chǔ yóu dàng。

There were gangs of kids on motorbikes roaming around.
10
趁天气好,咱们骑马到山上去 吧.

chèn tiān qì hǎo, , zán mén qí mǎ dào shān shàng qù.

Let's ride out to the mountains while the weather is good.

Cultural Notes for 骑

💡Did you know?

In ancient China, horseback riding was an important skill for warriors and nomadic tribes. The ability to ride well was associated with bravery and status.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In many cultures, horses symbolize freedom and power. In Chinese culture, horses also represent speed and success, particularly in business contexts.

Word Family of 骑

Words Containing This Character20
骑qíto sit astride騎
骑士horseman騎士
骑兵cavalry騎兵
骑马to ride a horse騎馬
骑车qíchēto cycle騎車
骑警mounted police (on horse or motorbike)騎警
坐骑mount坐騎
铁骑armored horses鐵騎
轻骑light cavalry輕騎
骑术equestrianism騎術
骑虎难下if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway騎虎難下
骑射equestrian archery騎射
骑楼arcade (architecture)騎樓
骑师jockey騎師
骑墙to sit on the fence騎牆
势成骑虎if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway勢成騎虎
骑马者horseman騎馬者
骑田岭Qitian mountain range between south Hunan and Guangdong騎田嶺
骑鹤上扬州lit. to ride a crane to Yangzhou (idiom); to get an official position騎鶴上揚州
骑驴觅驴fig. to look for what one already has騎驢覓驢
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 骑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 骑

骑 (qí) specifically refers to riding animals or bikes, while 乘 (chéng) is used for boarding vehicles like trains and planes. Understanding the context of each word is important for using them correctly in conversation.

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