羈 meaning and stroke order
Halter; to restrain, to hold, to control
How to write 羈, stroke by stroke
24 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 羈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bridle
- halter
- to restrain
- to detain
- to lodge
- inn
How 羈 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A leather 革 halter used to control 罒a horse 馬.
Radical: 罒 (net), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 羈
Picture a net 罒 on top, with leather 革 and a horse 馬 underneath: a leather strap thrown over a horse's head like a net to control it. That leather halter is 羈 (jī), and from it comes the idea of holding something back.
Today 羈 rarely appears alone. It shows up in set words like 羈押 (jīyā, to detain) in legal news and 羈絆 (jībàn, ties that bind) in literary writing. Example: 他性格不羈。(Tā xìnggé bùjī.) He has an unruly, free spirit.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom left as 草 or 單 instead of 革, or forget that the right side is 馬 (simplified 马, as in 羁). Also keep the tone first tone jī, not jì as in 記.
Common words with 羈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 羈絆 | jībàn | trammels; fetters | |
| 羈押 | jīyā | to detain; to take into custody | |
| 不羈 | bùjī | unruly; uninhibited |
Questions about 羈
How many strokes are in 羈?
羈 is written with 24 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 羈 mean?
羈 (jī) means halter; to restrain, to hold, to control. A common word with it is 羁绊 (jībàn), meaning "trammels; fetters".
How do you pronounce 羈?
羈 is pronounced jī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 羈?
The radical of 羈 is 罒, which carries the idea of "net". Dictionaries list 羈 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 羈?
羈 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 羁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 不羈 a positive or negative word?
It is usually positive or admiring. It describes someone free-spirited who is not bound by convention, as in 放蕩不羈 (fàngdàng bùjī), though context can make it sound reckless.
Why does 羈 also mean to lodge or an inn?
In classical Chinese, a traveler held far from home was said to be 羈 there, so the word came to mean staying away as a guest. You see this in literary phrases like 羈旅 (jīlǚ), a long stay away from home.