界 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) boundary; border; (bound form) realm
How to write 界, 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 界
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) boundary; border
- (bound form) realm
How 界 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Farm.
田 gives the meaning and 介 hints at the sound.
Radical: 田 (field), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 界
界 has a field 田 (tián) on top and 介 (jiè) below, which gives the sound. Picture the lines that divide one farm field from the next: that dividing line is a boundary.
界 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 世界 (shìjiè, world), 边界 (biānjiè, border), and 外界 (wàijiè, the outside world). It also attaches to fields of work to mean a circle or sector, as in 文艺界 (wényìjiè, the arts world). Example: 我想去看看世界。(Wǒ xiǎng qù kànkan shìjiè.) I want to go see the world.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 界 with 介 (jiè) because they sound identical. 介 appears in 介绍 (jièshào, to introduce), while 界 with the field on top is for boundaries and the world. Remember that in 世界 the second syllable is often read lightly, but its full tone is fourth tone jiè.
Common words with 界
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 世界 | shìjiè | world | HSK 3 |
| 世界杯 | shìjièbēi | World Cup | HSK 3 |
| 全世界 | quán shìjiè | worldwide; entire world | HSK 5 |
| 外界 | wàijiè | the outside world; external | HSK 5 |
| 文艺界 | wényìjiè | HSK 6 | |
| 边界 | biānjiè | boundary; border | HSK 7-9 |
| 界限 | jièxiàn | boundary | HSK 7-9 |
| 境界 | jìngjiè | boundary; state | HSK 7-9 |
| 自然界 | zìránjiè | nature; the natural world | HSK 7-9 |
| 界线 | jièxiàn | limits; bounds | HSK 7-9 |
| 眼界 | yǎnjiè | (lit. and fig.) field of vision; scope; horizon | HSK 7-9 |
| 世界级 | shìjiè jí | world-class | HSK 7-9 |
| 交界 | jiāojiè | common boundary; common border | HSK 7-9 |
| 界定 | jièdìng | definition; to delimit | HSK 7-9 |
界 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 界
How many strokes are in 界?
界 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 界 mean?
界 (jiè) means (bound form) boundary; border; (bound form) realm. A common word with it is 世界 (shìjiè), meaning "world".
How do you pronounce 界?
界 is pronounced jiè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 界?
The radical of 界 is 田, which carries the idea of "field". Dictionaries list 界 under this radical.
Is 界 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 界 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.
Can 界 be used alone as a word?
Not usually. In modern Chinese 界 is a bound form and appears inside compounds such as 世界, 边界, or 界限. To say border on its own, use 边界 (biānjiè) or 边境 (biānjìng).
What does 界 mean after a profession, like 商界 or 教育界?
Added after a field, 界 means the community or circles of that field. 商界 (shāngjiè) is the business world and 教育界 (jiàoyùjiè) is the education sector. This pattern is common in news and formal writing.