奇 meaning and stroke order
Strange, unusual, odd; uncanny, occult
How to write 奇, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 奇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- odd (number)
- strange
- odd
- weird
- wonderful
- surprisingly
- unusually
How 奇 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 大 riding a horse 可.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 奇
The top of 奇 is 大 (dà), a person with arms spread, and the bottom is 可 (kě). The etymology hint pictures a person 大 riding a horse 可, which was an unusual, strange sight worth staring at.
奇 (qí) usually appears in two-character words about strangeness or wonder, such as 奇怪 (qíguài) strange, 神奇 (shénqí) magical, and 奇迹 (qíjì) miracle. Example: 这件事很奇怪。(Zhè jiàn shì hěn qíguài.) This matter is very strange.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 奇 with 骑 (qí, to ride) and 寄 (jì, to mail), which share the 奇 part and sound similar. Also note that in 好奇 (hàoqí), 好 is read hào, not hǎo.
Common words with 奇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange; odd | HSK 3 |
| 好奇 | hàoqí | inquisitive; curious | HSK 3 |
| 神奇 | shénqí | magical; mystical | HSK 5 |
| 奇妙 | qímiào | wonderful; marvelous; intriguing; mysterious; strange | HSK 6 |
| 奇迹 | qíjì | miracle; wonder; marvel | HSK 7-9 |
| 传奇 | chuánqí | legendary; fantasy saga | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊奇 | jīngqí | to be amazed; to be surprised | HSK 7-9 |
| 奇特 | qítè | peculiar; unusual | HSK 7-9 |
| 好奇心 | hàoqíxīn | interest in sth; curiosity | HSK 7-9 |
| 离奇 | líqí | odd; bizarre | HSK 7-9 |
| 稀奇 | xīqí | rare; strange | HSK 7-9 |
| 新奇 | xīnqí | novel; new; exotic | HSK 7-9 |
| 奇花异草 | qíhuā-yìcǎo | (idiom) rare or exotic flowers and plants | HSK 7-9 |
| 奇异 | qíyì | fantastic; bizarre |
奇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 奇
Learning 奇 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 奇
How many strokes are in 奇?
奇 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 奇 mean?
奇 (qí) means strange, unusual, odd; uncanny, occult. A common word with it is 奇怪 (qíguài), meaning "strange; odd".
How do you pronounce 奇?
奇 is pronounced qí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 奇?
The radical of 奇 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 奇 under this radical.
Is 奇 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 奇 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why is 奇 sometimes read jī?
When 奇 means an odd number, it is read jī, as in 奇数 (jīshù) odd number. In all its everyday meanings of strange or wonderful, it is read qí.
What is the difference between 奇怪 and 奇妙?
奇怪 (qíguài) means strange or odd and can sound neutral or slightly negative. 奇妙 (qímiào) means wonderful or marvelous and is positive, used for things that delight or amaze you.