岂 meaning and stroke order
What; how
How to write 岂, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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Meaning of 岂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- how? (emphatic question)
- old variant of 愷|恺[kai3]
- old variant of 凱|凯[kai3]
How 岂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
己 hints at the sound.
Radical: 山 (mountain), shared by 111 characters on this site.
How to remember 岂
A mountain 山 (shān) sits on top of 己 (jǐ), which gives the sound. Picture someone pointing at a mountain placed on their own head and asking in disbelief, "How could that be?"
岂 (qǐ) starts a rhetorical question that expects the answer "of course not" or "of course." It belongs to formal or written Chinese and set phrases. Example: 这岂不是浪费时间？(Zhè qǐ bú shì làngfèi shíjiān?) Isn't this a waste of time?
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read the bottom part as 已 (yǐ) or 巳 (sì). It is 己 (jǐ), open at the top left, and that part also hints at the qǐ sound. Also remember 岂 is not a neutral question word, so do not use it to ask real questions in place of 怎么 (zěnme).
Common words with 岂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 岂有此理 | qǐyǒucǐlǐ | how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous | HSK 7-9 |
岂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 岂
Learning 岂 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 岂
How many strokes are in 岂?
岂 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 岂 mean?
岂 (qǐ) means what; how. A common word with it is 岂有此理 (qǐyǒucǐlǐ), meaning "how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous".
How do you pronounce 岂?
岂 is pronounced qǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 岂?
The radical of 岂 is 山, which carries the idea of "mountain". Dictionaries list 岂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 岂?
The traditional form of 岂 is 豈. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 岂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 岂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 岂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 岂有此理 really mean when people say it?
岂有此理 (qǐyǒucǐlǐ) literally asks "how can there be such a reason?" People use it to show outrage at something unfair or absurd, much like "This is outrageous" or "Ridiculous."
What are common patterns with 岂?
You will often see 岂不 (qǐ bù), "wouldn't it be," and 岂能 (qǐ néng), "how could one." For example, 我岂能不管？(Wǒ qǐ néng bù guǎn?) means "How could I not get involved?" The kǎi reading is only an old variant and rarely appears today.