豈 meaning and stroke order
What; how
How to write 豈, 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 豈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- how? (emphatic question)
- old variant of 愷|恺[kai3]
- old variant of 凱|凯[kai3]
How 豈 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 豆 (beans), shared by 9 characters on this site.
How to remember 豈
豈 stacks a mountain 山 on top of a bean 豆. Picture someone asking, how could a whole mountain sit on a tiny bean? That disbelief fits its meaning, a rhetorical how.
豈 (qǐ) starts rhetorical questions that expect the answer no, and it sounds literary or formal. It appears most often in set phrases like 岂有此理 and 岂不 (qǐbù, wouldn't it be). Example: 这样做岂不是更好？(Zhèyàng zuò qǐ bú shì gèng hǎo?) Wouldn't doing it this way be better?
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 豈 as a neutral question word like 怎么 (zěnme). It only works in rhetorical, emphatic questions. Also, the simplified form is 岂, with 己 under 山. Do not write it with 已 or 巳.
Common words with 豈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 豈有此理 | qǐyǒucǐlǐ | how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 豈
Learning 豈 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 豈
How many strokes are in 豈?
豈 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 豈 mean?
豈 (qǐ) means what; how. A common word with it is 岂有此理 (qǐyǒucǐlǐ), meaning "how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous".
How do you pronounce 豈?
豈 is pronounced qǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 豈?
The radical of 豈 is 豆, which carries the idea of "beans". Dictionaries list 豈 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 豈?
豈 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 岂, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 岂有此理 mean and when do people say it?
岂有此理 (qǐyǒucǐlǐ) literally means how could there be such a reason. People say it when something feels outrageous or unreasonable, much like saying preposterous or this is ridiculous.
Is 豈 ever read kǎi?
Yes, but only as an old variant of 愷 (恺) or 凱 (凯), both read kǎi. In modern Chinese you will almost always read it qǐ.