氣 meaning and stroke order
Air, gas; steam, vapor; anger
How to write 氣, stroke by stroke
10 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
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- 9
- 10
Meaning of 氣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- gas; air
- smell
- weather
- to make angry; to annoy; to get angry
- vital energy; qi
How 氣 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 亻 breathing air 米.
Radical: 气 (air), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 氣
The outer part 气 (qì) looks like wisps of vapor rising, and inside sits 米 (mǐ, rice). Picture steam curling up from a pot of cooking rice, and you have 氣, air or vapor.
氣 is the traditional form, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and older texts. Mainland China writes it as 气. It appears in words for weather, air, mood and anger, as in 他很生氣 (tā hěn shēngqì), "He is very angry."
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 米 inside when writing traditional texts, or mix the two forms in one sentence. Write 氣 consistently in traditional writing and 气 in simplified writing. Also note that 运气 (yùnqi) is usually said with a neutral tone on the second syllable.
Common words with 氣
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 生氣 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness | HSK 1 |
| 天氣 | tiānqì | weather | HSK 1 |
| 不客氣 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it | HSK 1 |
| 空氣 | kōngqì | air; atmosphere | HSK 2 |
| 氣溫 | qìwēn | air temperature | HSK 2 |
| 氣候 | qìhòu | (meteorology) climate; (fig.) climate; prevailing conditions (in human affairs) | HSK 3 |
| 運氣 | yùnqi | luck (good or bad) | HSK 4 |
| 勇氣 | yǒngqì | courage | HSK 4 |
| 力氣 | lìqi | physical strength | HSK 4 |
| 氣球 | qìqiú | balloon | HSK 4 |
| 暖氣 | nuǎnqì | central heating; heater | HSK 4 |
| 客氣 | kèqi | polite; courteous | HSK 5 |
| 脾氣 | píqi | character; temperament; disposition; bad temper | HSK 5 |
| 一口氣 | yīkǒuqì | one breath; in one breath | HSK 5 |
Questions about 氣
How many strokes are in 氣?
氣 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 氣 mean?
氣 (qì) means air, gas; steam, vapor; anger. A common word with it is 生气 (shēngqì), meaning "to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness".
How do you pronounce 氣?
氣 is pronounced qì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 氣?
The radical of 氣 is 气, which carries the idea of "air". Dictionaries list 氣 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 氣?
氣 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 气, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 氣 the same as the qi in qigong and Chinese medicine?
Yes. The "qi" of 氣功 (qìgōng) and traditional medicine is this character, meaning vital energy or life force. The same idea shows up in everyday words like 勇氣 (yǒngqì), courage.
How do I use 氣 to say someone made me angry?
Use 氣 as a verb meaning "to make angry": 你氣死我了 (nǐ qì sǐ wǒ le), "You are driving me crazy." To say someone got angry, use 生氣 (shēngqì).