济 meaning and stroke order
To aid, to help, to relieve; to ferry across
How to write 济, 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.
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Meaning of 济
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cross a river
- to aid or relieve
- to be of help
- used in 濟濟|济济[ji3 ji3]
How 济 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 齐 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 济
济 combines water 氵 with 齐 (qí), which gives the sound. Picture people crossing the water together in an even line, helping each other reach the other side.
Today 济 (jì) appears mostly in compound words, especially 经济 (jīngjì, economy) and 救济 (jiùjì, relief aid). It is rarely used alone in modern speech. Example: 中国经济发展很快。(Zhōngguó jīngjì fāzhǎn hěn kuài.) China's economy is developing quickly.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 济 (jì) with 挤 (jǐ, to squeeze, crowded), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of water 氵. Think of 济 as helping across water and 挤 as pushing with hands.
Common words with 济
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 经济 | jīngjì | economy; economic | HSK 3 |
| 救济 | jiùjì | emergency relief; to help the needy with cash or goods | HSK 7-9 |
| 无济于事 | wújìyúshì | (idiom) to no avail; of no use | HSK 7-9 |
| 接济 | jiējì | to give material assistance to | HSK 7-9 |
| 市场经济 | shìchǎng jīngjì | market economy | HSK 7-9 |
| 同舟共济 | tóngzhōu-gòngjì | cross a river in the same boat (idiom); fig. having common interests; obliged to collabora | HSK 7-9 |
| 经济学 | jīngjìxué | economics (as a field of study) | |
| 经济学家 | jīngjìxuéjiā | economist | |
| 经济舱 | jīngjìcāng | economy class | |
| 经济危机 | jīngjìwēijī | economic crisis |
济 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 济
How many strokes are in 济?
济 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 济 mean?
济 (jì) means to aid, to help, to relieve; to ferry across. A common word with it is 经济 (jīngjì), meaning "economy; economic".
How do you pronounce 济?
济 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 济?
The radical of 济 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 济 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 济?
The traditional form of 济 is 濟. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 济 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 济 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 济 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.
Is 济 ever pronounced jǐ?
Yes, but only in the reduplicated word 济济 (jǐjǐ), which describes a large number of talented people gathered together, as in 人才济济 (réncái jǐjǐ). In almost every other word, including 经济, it is jì.
What does 同舟共济 mean and when is it used?
同舟共济 (tóngzhōu-gòngjì) literally means crossing a river in the same boat. It is used to say people should work together through hard times because they share the same fate. It also preserves the old meaning of 济 as to ferry across.