祭 meaning and stroke order
To offer a sacrifice to (gods or ancestors); (in classical novels) to recite an incantation to activate a magic weapon; to wield (sth magic); (bound form) ceremony
How to write 祭, stroke by stroke
11 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 祭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to offer a sacrifice to (gods or ancestors)
- (in classical novels) to recite an incantation to activate a magic weapon; to wield (sth magic)
- (bound form) ceremony
- (Tw) (bound form) (celebratory) festival
How 祭 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Hand 寸 holding meat ⺼ over an altar 示.
Radical: 示 (altar), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 祭
Picture a hand 寸 lifting a piece of meat ⺼ and setting it on an altar 示 below. Offering food on an altar is exactly what 祭 (jì) means: to make a sacrifice to gods or ancestors.
祭 is mostly used in formal or traditional contexts, often in compounds like 祭祀 (jìsì, to offer sacrifices) and 祭奠 (jìdiàn, to hold a memorial for the dead). Example: 清明节我们去祭祖。(Qīngmíng Jié wǒmen qù jìzǔ.) On Qingming Festival we go to make offerings to our ancestors.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 祭 with 察 (chá, to examine), which contains 祭 under a roof 宀, and with 际 (jì, border), which has the same sound. Remember that 祭 alone has no roof and no 阝 on the left.
Common words with 祭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 祭祀 | jìsì | to offer sacrifices to the gods or ancestors | HSK 7-9 |
| 祭奠 | jìdiàn | to offer sacrifices (to one's ancestors); to hold or attend a memorial service | HSK 7-9 |
| 祭司 | jìsī | priest | |
| 祭坛 | jìtán | altar | |
| 祭品 | jìpǐn | offering | |
| 献祭 | xiànjì | to offer sacrifice | |
| 祭典 | jìdiǎn | sacrificial ceremony; religious festival | |
| 大祭司 | dàjìsī | High Priest | |
| 祭拜 | jìbài | to offer sacrifice (to one's ancestors) |
祭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 祭
Learning 祭 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 祭
How many strokes are in 祭?
祭 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 祭 mean?
祭 (jì) means to offer a sacrifice to (gods or ancestors); (in classical novels) to recite an incantation to activate a magic weapon; to wield (sth magic); (bound form) ceremony. A common word with it is 祭祀 (jìsì), meaning "to offer sacrifices to the gods or ancestors".
How do you pronounce 祭?
祭 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 祭?
The radical of 祭 is 示, which carries the idea of "altar". Dictionaries list 祭 under this radical.
Is 祭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 祭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 祭祀 and 祭奠?
祭祀 (jìsì) is a general word for ritual sacrifices to gods or ancestors, often in a religious or historical sense. 祭奠 (jìdiàn) focuses on honoring the dead, such as at a grave or memorial service.
Can 祭 mean festival?
Yes, especially in Taiwan, 祭 appears in names of celebratory festivals, partly influenced by Japanese usage, such as 音乐祭 (yīnyuè jì, music festival). In mainland Mandarin, 节 (jié) is the usual word for festival.