激 meaning and stroke order
To arouse, to incite; acute, sharp; fierce, violent
How to write 激, stroke by stroke
16 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 激
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to arouse
- to incite
- to excite
- to stimulate
- sharp
- fierce
How 激 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 敫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 激
激 is water 氵 on the left with 敫 (jiǎo) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture water crashing against rocks and splashing up high, the way strong feelings get stirred up and surge.
激 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 激动 (jīdòng), 激烈 (jīliè), 刺激 (cìjī) and 感激 (gǎnjī). It covers both emotional stirring and intensity. Example: 听到这个消息，她非常激动。(Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, tā fēicháng jīdòng.) She was very excited when she heard the news.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 激 with 邀 (yāo, to invite) or 缴 (jiǎo, to hand over), because all three share the 敫 part. Only 激 has the water radical 氵. Also note the tone: 激 is first tone jī, not jí.
Common words with 激
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 激动 | jīdòng | to move emotionally; to stir up (emotions) | HSK 4 |
| 刺激 | cìjī | to provoke; to irritate; to upset; to stimulate; to excite; irritant | HSK 4 |
| 激烈 | jīliè | (of competition or fighting) intense; fierce | HSK 4 |
| 激情 | jīqíng | passion; fervor | HSK 6 |
| 感激 | gǎnjī | to be grateful; to appreciate | HSK 7-9 |
| 激活 | jīhuó | to activate | HSK 7-9 |
| 激励 | jīlì | to encourage; to urge | HSK 7-9 |
| 激光 | jīguāng | laser | HSK 7-9 |
| 激发 | jīfā | to arouse; to stimulate | HSK 7-9 |
| 激起 | jīqǐ | to arouse; to evoke | HSK 7-9 |
| 激素 | jīsù | hormone | HSK 7-9 |
| 激化 | jīhuà | to intensify | HSK 7-9 |
| 激怒 | jīnù | to infuriate; to enrage | |
| 冰激凌 | bīngjīlíng | ice cream |
激 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 激
How many strokes are in 激?
激 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 激 mean?
激 (jī) means to arouse, to incite; acute, sharp; fierce, violent. A common word with it is 激动 (jīdòng), meaning "to move emotionally; to stir up (emotions)".
How do you pronounce 激?
激 is pronounced jī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 激?
The radical of 激 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 激 under this radical.
Is 激 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 激 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 激动 mean happy excitement or anger?
激动 just means emotionally stirred, so it can be joy, nervousness, or anger depending on context. For pure happy anticipation, 兴奋 (xīngfèn) is often more natural.
Why is 激 in 感激, which means grateful?
In 感激 (gǎnjī), 激 keeps its sense of strong stirred feeling, so it means being deeply moved with gratitude. It is stronger and more formal than 谢谢 (xièxie), as in 我非常感激你的帮助 (Wǒ fēicháng gǎnjī nǐ de bāngzhù), I am very grateful for your help.