机 meaning and stroke order
Desk; machine; moment, opportunity
How to write 机, 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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- 6
Meaning of 机
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) machine; mechanism
- (bound form) aircraft
- (bound form) an opportunity
- (bound form) crucial point; pivot
- (bound form) quick-witted; flexible
- (bound form) organic
How 机 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A table 几 made of wood 木; 几 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 机
机 is a small table 几 (jǐ) made of wood 木. Picture an old wooden desk with a clever wooden mechanism built into it, and you have both the shape and the idea of a machine. 几 also hints at the sound jī.
机 rarely stands alone. It appears in many everyday words for machines and devices, such as 手机 (shǒujī) phone and 飞机 (fēijī) airplane, and also means chance in 机会 (jīhuì). Example: 我在机场等你。(Wǒ zài jīchǎng děng nǐ.) I will wait for you at the airport.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 机 with 杌 or forget that the right side is 几 and not 九 (jiǔ), which has a hook crossing through. Also keep the first tone: jī, not the third tone jǐ of 几 on its own.
Common words with 机
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane | HSK 1 |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone | HSK 1 |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum | HSK 1 |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket | HSK 1 |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set | HSK 1 |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance | HSK 2 |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver | HSK 2 |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment | HSK 2 |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator | HSK 2 |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film | HSK 2 |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer | HSK 2 |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) | HSK 2 |
| 机器 | jīqì | machine | HSK 3 |
| 收音机 | shōuyīnjī | radio | HSK 3 |
机 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 机
How many strokes are in 机?
机 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 机 mean?
机 (jī) means desk; machine; moment, opportunity. A common word with it is 飞机 (fēijī), meaning "airplane".
How do you pronounce 机?
机 is pronounced jī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 机?
The radical of 机 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 机 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 机?
The traditional form of 机 is 機. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 机 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 机 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 机 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 机 mean both machine and opportunity?
The character covers the idea of a key point or pivot, the part that makes something work. From this it extends to mechanical devices and to a critical moment, which is why 机会 (jīhuì) means chance.
Can I say 机 alone to mean my phone or a plane?
Usually not. In speech you say the full word, like 手机 (shǒujī) for phone or 飞机 (fēijī) for plane. 机 alone mostly appears in short written forms, such as on signs or tickets.