Meaning of 机械
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- machine
- machinery
- mechanical
- (old) cunning
- scheming
How to use 机械
机械 (jīxiè) is used as a noun for machinery and as a describing word meaning mechanical or rigid, often about a person's way of doing things. Example: 他的回答太机械了。(Tā de huídá tài jīxiè le.) His answer was too mechanical.
Both characters have the wood radical 木, a reminder that early machines and tools were built from wood. 机 (jī) is the machine you already know from 手机 (shǒujī), and 械 (xiè) means tools or devices, so 机械 (jīxiè) is machinery in general.
Common mistake: Learners often read 械 as jiè because of the 戒 (jiè) part on the right, but the correct reading is xiè. Also do not confuse 机械 (jīxiè) with 机器 (jīqì), which usually means one specific machine.
机械 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
机 jī · desk · 6 strokes
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械 xiè · weapons · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 机械.
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) |
Questions about 机械
What does 机械 mean?
机械 (jīxiè) means "machine; machinery" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 机械?
机械 is made of 2 characters: 机 (6 strokes), 械 (11 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 机械 an HSK word?
Yes. 机械 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 机械 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 机械 is written 機械.
What is the difference between 机械 and 机器?
机器 (jīqì) usually refers to an individual machine, like a washing machine. 机械 (jīxiè) is broader and more technical, covering machinery as a category or field, as in 机械工程 (jīxiè gōngchéng) mechanical engineering.
Can 机械 describe a person?
Yes. Saying someone is 机械 means they act rigidly or robotically, without flexibility, as in 机械地记忆 (jīxiè de jìyì) rote memorization. The old sense of cunning or scheming is rarely used today.