麒 meaning and stroke order
Mythical unicorn
How to write 麒, stroke by stroke
19 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 麒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 麒麟[qi2 lin2]
How 麒 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Deer.
鹿 gives the meaning and 其 hints at the sound.
Radical: 鹿 (deer), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 麒
麒 is a deer 鹿 (lù) on the left with 其 (qí) on the right giving the sound. Picture a magical deer-like creature that answers to the name qí.
麒 almost never appears alone. It is used in 麒麟 (qílín), the auspicious creature of Chinese mythology, often seen in art, temple decorations, and names. Example: 门口有两只石麒麟。(Ménkǒu yǒu liǎng zhī shí qílín.) There are two stone qilin at the entrance.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 麒 with 骐 (qí), which has the horse radical 马 and refers to a dark-mottled horse. Keep the deer 鹿 for the mythical 麒麟.
Common words with 麒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 麒麟 | qílín | (Chinese mythology) qilin; (old) giraffe |
Questions about 麒
How many strokes are in 麒?
麒 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 麒 mean?
麒 (qí) means mythical unicorn. A common word with it is 麒麟 (qílín), meaning "(Chinese mythology) qilin; (old) giraffe".
How do you pronounce 麒?
麒 is pronounced qí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 麒?
The radical of 麒 is 鹿, which carries the idea of "deer". Dictionaries list 麒 under this radical.
Is a qilin the same as a unicorn?
Not exactly. The 麒麟 (qílín) is a Chinese mythical beast with a deer-like body, often shown with scales and one or two horns. "Unicorn" is just a loose English translation.
Does 麒麟 mean giraffe?
In older usage, 麒麟 was sometimes used for the giraffe. In modern Mandarin a giraffe is 长颈鹿 (chángjǐnglù), though in Japanese the related word kirin still means giraffe.