藉 meaning and stroke order
By means of; excuse, pretext; to rely on
How to write 藉, stroke by stroke
17 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 藉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) cushion; mat
- (literary) to put some padding underneath
- (literary) to tread on; to insult
- used in 狼藉[lang2 ji2]
How 藉 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A plow 耤 is the means used to grow crops 艹.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 藉
The top is grass 艹 and the bottom is 耤, a plow. A plow is the means you rely on to grow crops, so 藉 means "by means of" or "to rely on."
Most of the time 藉 is read jiè and appears in words like 藉口 (jièkǒu, excuse) and 慰藉 (wèijiè, comfort). The jí reading mainly shows up in 狼藉 (lángjí, in disorder; disgraced). Example: 他总是找藉口迟到。(Tā zǒngshì zhǎo jièkǒu chídào.) He always finds excuses for being late.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 藉 as jí because dictionaries list it first, but in 藉口 and 慰藉 it is jiè. Also do not confuse it with 籍 (jí, register, nationality, as in 国籍), which has the bamboo top ⺮ instead of grass 艹.
Common words with 藉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 藉口 | jièkǒu | to use as an excuse; on the pretext | |
| 藉由 | jièyóu | by means of; through; by | |
| 慰藉 | wèijiè | to console; to comfort | |
| 声名狼藉 | shēngmínglángjí | to have a bad reputation |
藉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 藉
How many strokes are in 藉?
藉 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 藉 mean?
藉 (jí) means by means of; excuse, pretext; to rely on. A common word with it is 藉口 (jièkǒu), meaning "to use as an excuse; on the pretext".
How do you pronounce 藉?
藉 is pronounced jí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 藉?
The radical of 藉 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 藉 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 藉?
藉 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 借, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 藉口 and 借口?
They mean the same thing, an excuse. In mainland simplified Chinese 借口 (jièkǒu) is the standard form, and 藉 in this sense was merged into 借. 藉口 is common in Taiwan and in more traditional writing.
What does 狼藉 mean and how is it used?
狼藉 (lángjí) describes things scattered in a mess, like 杯盘狼藉 (bēipán lángjí, cups and plates all over the place). It is also used for a ruined reputation, as in 声名狼藉 (shēngmíng lángjí), to be notorious.