觊 meaning and stroke order
To covet, to desire, to long for
How to write 觊, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 10
Meaning of 觊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to covet
- to long for
How 觊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
见 gives the meaning and 岂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 见 (to see), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 觊
觊 is built from 岂 (qǐ) on the left, which gives the sound, and 见 (jiàn, to see) on the right, which gives the meaning. Picture someone staring at what they want and asking 岂 "how could I not have it?" That greedy look is 觊.
觊 almost never appears alone in modern Chinese. You will meet it in the literary word 觊觎 (jìyú), which means to eye something you have no right to, like power, land, or someone else's property. Example: 他一直觊觎公司的领导位置。(Tā yīzhí jìyú gōngsī de lǐngdǎo wèizhì.) He has long coveted the leadership position in the company.
Common mistake: Learners often read 觊 as qǐ because of the phonetic part 岂, but the correct reading is jì with the fourth tone. Also keep the order 觊觎. Do not reverse it to 觎觊.
Common words with 觊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 觊觎 | jìyú | (literary) to covet; to cast greedy eyes on |
Questions about 觊
How many strokes are in 觊?
觊 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 觊 mean?
觊 (jì) means to covet, to desire, to long for. A common word with it is 觊觎 (jìyú), meaning "(literary) to covet; to cast greedy eyes on".
How do you pronounce 觊?
觊 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 觊?
The radical of 觊 is 见, which carries the idea of "to see". Dictionaries list 觊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 觊?
The traditional form of 觊 is 覬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 觊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 觊觎 positive or negative?
It is negative. It suggests wanting something that does not belong to you, often with improper or greedy intent. For a neutral sense of longing, use 渴望 (kěwàng) or 向往 (xiàngwǎng).
Can I use 觊觎 in everyday conversation?
It is a formal, literary word, so it mostly appears in writing, news, and historical stories. In casual speech people usually say 盯上 (dīngshàng) or 想要 (xiǎngyào) instead.