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纪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纪Jǐsurname JiHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪Jǐalso pr. [Jì]HSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐdisciplineHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐageHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐeraHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐperiodHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐorderHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪JǐrecordHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪Jǐdiscipline, age; period, era; record, annalHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪Jǐalso pr. [Ji4]HSK 7, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪Jǐto chronicleHSK 7, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìsurname JiHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìalso pr. [Jì]HSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìdisciplineHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìageHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìeraHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìperiodHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìorderHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìrecordHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìdiscipline, age; period, era; record, annalHSK 7, nr, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìalso pr. [Ji4]HSK 7, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
纪jìto chronicleHSK 7, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #6113, Very Hard
Jǐ(Ji3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1surname Ji
  2. 2also pr. [Jì]
Also a Chinese surname, Ji — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

纪(紀)Jǐ(Ji3)

The character 纪 (jǐ) primarily serves as a surname, but it also conveys meanings related to discipline, records, and periods in time, such as an era or an age. Commonly used in contexts that involve historical documentation or the organization of time, it reflects a sense of order and continuity in various disciplines.

Strokes6Radical纟Frequency#6113DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The concept of recording history is significant in Chinese culture, where historical documents and annals have been meticulously maintained over centuries. The importance of discipline in both education and society is also a deeply ingrained value.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise sage (the radical representing discipline) writing down the history (the character's form) of ancient ages (the meaning of 纪). The pronunciation 'jǐ' sounds like 'gee', which you can remember as the sage saying 'Gee, this history is important!'

Meanings of 纪

Jǐ(Ji3)
primary
1also pr. [Jì]
2discipline
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 纪

纪Simplified
紀Traditional
6Strokes
纟Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#6113Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 纪

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Podcast: 纪

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AI Study Notes for 纪

Usage Notes

When using 纪, it's important to note that it can be pronounced both as 'jǐ' and 'jì', depending on the context. Beginners may confuse it with similar sounding words; thus, paying attention to tone and context is crucial. Common collocations include 纪念 (jìniàn, to commemorate) and 纪元 (jìyuán, era).

HSK Study Tips

While 纪 is not part of the official HSK levels, it appears in various compounds that students at higher levels may encounter. Focus on its usage in historical contexts and with related words like 纪律 (jìlǜ, discipline) to deepen your understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 纪 (jǐ) with 记 (jì), leading to incorrect usage, such as saying '我有一个好的纪' instead of '我有一个好的记忆' (I have a good memory). Always remember that 纪 pertains to records and eras, not personal memories.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纪

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Etymology of 纪

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

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 己 represents the sound. Simplified form of 紀.

Memory Hint

thread

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 纪

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 己 represents the sound. Simplified form of 紀.

  1. 1The meaning half纟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half己 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 纪? 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 纪?

Decomposition of 纪

IDS Structure⿰纟己
纪Full Character
=
纟si1
left
己ji3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 纪?

How to say surname Ji in Chinese

“surname Ji” in Chinese is纪Jǐ

The character 纪 (jǐ) primarily serves as a surname, but it also conveys meanings related to discipline, records, and periods in time, such as an era or an age. Commonly used in contexts that involve historical documentation or the organization of time, it reflects a sense of order and continuity in various disciplines.

When to use 纪

When using 纪, it's important to note that it can be pronounced both as 'jǐ' and 'jì', depending on the context. Beginners may confuse it with similar sounding words; thus, paying attention to tone and context is crucial. Common collocations include 纪念 (jìniàn, to commemorate) and 纪元 (jìyuán, era).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 纪 (jǐ) with 记 (jì), leading to incorrect usage, such as saying '我有一个好的纪' instead of '我有一个好的记忆' (I have a good memory). Always remember that 纪 pertains to records and eras, not personal memories.

Write 纪

纪

Practice writing 纪 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 纪

纪 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 11 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

年____太大了，身体一时好一时坏。

Getting too old — the body is good one moment and bad the next.

Common Confusions with 纪

纪vs济
jì

Similar pronunciation, but different meanings.

纪vs记
jì

Similar pronunciation, but different meanings.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "surname Ji"?

or

Example Sentences for 纪 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你是不是收藏了大量的书籍、报纸和纪念品？

nǐ shì bù shì shōu cáng le dà liáng de shū jí、 、 bào zhǐ hé jì niàn？

Do you keep many books and papers and memorabilia?
2
纪律的目的是教育儿童举止得体。

jì lǜ de mù de shì jiào yù ér tóng jǔ zhǐ dé tǐ。

The aim of discipline is to teach children to behave acceptably.
3
“袜铺”是20世纪80年代商业成功的范例之一。

“ “ wà” pū20 ” shì80 20 shì jì 80 nián dài shāng yè chéng gōng de。

Sock Shop was one of the high-street success stories of the 80s.
4
6月份的出口额上升了1.5%，创下309.1亿美元的历史最高纪录。

6 6 yuè fèn de chū kǒu é shàng shēng1.5%， le 1.5%，309.1 chuàng xià 309.1 yì měi yuán de lì shǐ zuì。

Exports in June rose 5% to a record $91 billion.
5
澳大利亚的英式橄榄球联盟队创纪录地赢了法国队。

ào dà lì yà de yīng shì gǎn lǎn qiú lián méng duì chuàng jì lù dì yíng le fǎ guó duì。

Australia's rugby union side enjoyed a record-breaking win over France.
6
股票经纪人降低了他们的利润预期之后，股价下跌了11便士至293便士。

gǔ piào jīng jì rén jiàng dī le tā mén de lì rùn yù qī zhī hòu， ， gǔ jià xià diē11 le 11 biàn293 shì zhì。

Shares slid 11p to 293p after brokers downgraded their profit estimates.
7
桑普多利亚队主场1比2负于热那亚队之后，终止了自己的不败纪录。

sāng pǔ duō lì yà duì zhǔ cháng1 12 bǐ 2 fù yú rè nà yà duì， zhī hòu ， zhōng zhǐ le zì jǐ de bù。

Sampdoria lost their unbeaten record with a 2-1 home defeat against Genoa.
8
这枚胸针的历史可以追溯到公元前4世纪。

zhè méi xiōng zhēn de lì shǐ kě yǐ zhuī sù dào gōng yuán qián4 4 shì。

The brooch dates back to the fourth century BC.
9
这所房子是典型的中世纪民居。

zhè suǒ fáng zǐ shì diǎn xíng de zhōng shì jì mín jū。

The house is a textbook example of medieval domestic architecture.
10
这座电站到20世纪80年代初就已经失去作用了。

zhè zuò diàn zhàn dào20 20 shì80 jì 80 nián dài chū jiù yǐ jīng shī qù zuò。

By the early 1980s, the power station had outlived its purpose.

Cultural Notes for 纪

💡Did you know?

在中国，姓氏‘纪’并不常见，但它与许多历史人物和古代文学作品相关，特别是在讲述历史的经典文献中。

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

Unlike in many Western cultures where record-keeping is often seen as bureaucratic, in Chinese culture, it is viewed as a vital means of preserving heritage and learning from the past.

Word Family of 纪

Words Containing This Character20
世纪shìjìcentury世紀
年纪niánjìage年紀
纪念jìniànto commemorate紀念
纪录jìlùto record紀錄
经纪人broker經紀人
纪律jìlǜdiscipline紀律
纪Jǐorder紀
经纪manager經紀
纪念日jìniànrìmemorial day紀念日
纪念品souvenir紀念品
纪录片jìlùpiànnewsreel紀錄片
中世纪medieval中世紀
纪委discipline inspection commission紀委
纪检disciplinary inspection紀檢
纪念碑jìniànbēimonument紀念碑
违纪lack of discipline違紀
纪念馆jìniànguǎnmemorial hall紀念館
世界纪录world record世界紀錄
纪实jìshírecord of actual events紀實
纪要jìyàominutes紀要
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 世纪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纪

Yes, 纪 (Jì) is a recognized surname in China, though it is not among the most common ones. It can be found in various regions, and like many Chinese surnames, it has historical significance.

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