既 meaning and stroke order
Already; since; both... (and...)
How to write 既, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 既
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- already
- since
- both... (and...)
How 既 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 旡 turning away from food 皀; compare 即.
How to remember 既
On the left is a bowl of food 皀, and on the right a person 旡 turning their head away. They have already eaten and are done, so 既 (jì) means already, and by extension since.
既 appears mostly in set words and patterns rather than alone. The most common are 既然 (jìrán, since) and the pattern 既...又... (both... and...). Example: 他既聪明又努力。(Tā jì cōngmíng yòu nǔlì.) He is both smart and hardworking.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 既 (jì) with 即 (jí). Both have the food part 皀 on the left, but 即 has a kneeling person 卩 on the right and means immediately or namely. Also watch the tone: 既 is fourth tone, while 即 is second tone.
Common words with 既
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
既 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 既
Learning 既 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 既
How many strokes are in 既?
既 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 既 mean?
既 (jì) means already; since; both... (and...). A common word with it is 既然 (jìrán), meaning "since; as; this being the case".
How do you pronounce 既?
既 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 既?
The radical of 既 is 旡. Dictionaries list 既 under this radical.
Is 既 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 既 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 既然 and 因为?
因为 (yīnwèi) gives a reason. 既然 (jìrán) starts from a fact both speakers already accept and leads to a suggestion or conclusion, often with 就 or 那. For example, 既然你来了，就坐吧。(Since you're here, have a seat.)
Can 既...又... and 既...也... be used interchangeably?
Mostly yes, both mean both... and.... 既...又... usually links two qualities of equal weight, such as two adjectives. 既...也... often adds a second point, as in 他既会说英语，也会说法语。(He speaks English and also French.)