吉

See also: 𠮷, 喆, 吿, 告, 古, 舌, and 舎

吉	U+5409, 吉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5409

← 合
[U+5408]

CJK Unified Ideographs

吊 →
[U+540A]

More information Stroke order ...

Stroke order

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Han character

吉 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 土口 (GR), four-corner 4060₁, composition ⿱士口)

Derived characters

佶, 咭, 𡋥, 姞, 㣟, 恄, 拮, 洁, 狤, 桔, 㸵, 祮, 䂒, 硈, 秸, 袺, 結(结), 聐, 蛣, 夡, 詰(诘), 銡(𰽲), 鞊, 鮚(鲒), 黠
㐖, 劼, 㓤, 郆, 欯, 翓, 喆, 頡(颉), 鴶(𱉥), 𪜒, 迼, 趌, 䓀, 髻, 𫜖, 㔛, 臺, 嚞, 䦖, 𡕍, 調, 䭇

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 175, character 2
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3289
Dae Jaweon: page 389, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 576, character 6
Unihan data for U+5409

More information simp. and trad., alternative forms ...

simp. and trad.		吉
alternative forms		𠮷

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Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 吉, Shang ...

Historical forms of the character 吉
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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More information Old Chinese ...

	Old Chinese
秸	kriːl, kriːd
髻	*kiːds
夡	*kʰids
鴶	*kriːd
袺	kriːd, kiːd
頡	kriːd, ɡiːd
劼	*kʰriːd
硈	*kʰriːd
咭	kʰriːd, ɡlid, *qʰlid
黠	*ɡriːd
聐	*ŋreːd
趌	ked, klid, kʰid, ɡrid
結	*kiːd
拮	kiːd, klid
桔	*kiːd
狤	kiːd, klid, *ɡrid
擷	qʰiːd, ɡiːd
襭	*ɡiːd
翓	*ɡiːd
纈	*ɡiːd
吉	*klid
郆	*kid
詰	*kʰid
蛣	*kʰid
佶	ɡlid, ɡrid
鮚	*ɡrid
姞	*ɡrid
欯	*qʰlid
恄	*qʰlid

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Characters in the same phonetic series (吉) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

Ideogram (指事) derived from a ritual axe 士 and an open mouth 口, perhaps with a reference to rituals to obtain the gratitude of the ancestors and deities.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-kjit (“happy; pleased”) (STEDT). Also compare Tibetan སྐྱིད་པ (skyid pa, “to be happy”) and Burmese ချစ် (hkyac, “to love, to be pleased”) (Schuessler, 2007, Hill, 2019).

Cantonese sense of “empty” arises from avoidance of 空 (hung¹), which is homophonous to 凶 (hung¹, “inauspicious”).

The Taiwanese Chinese sense of “to sue” arises from avoidance of 告 (gào, “to sue”), which is a typo form of it.

Pronunciation

More information Variety, Location ...

Variety	Location	edit 吉
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕi³⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕi⁴⁴/ /t͡ɕi²⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕi⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕi⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕi²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕji⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕi⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕi¹³/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕie³¹/ /t͡ɕi³¹/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕi²¹/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕi³¹/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕiʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕiəʔ²/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕiʌʔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡ɕiɪʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕai²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕiʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/t͡ɕi⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡ɕiʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/kit̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/kit̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɐt̚⁵/
	Nanning	/kɐt̚⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɐt̚⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kit̚³²/ /kiat̚³²/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kɛiʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/ki²⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kik̚²/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/kit̚⁵/

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More information Rime, Character ...

Rime
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	質 (48)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	居質切
Baxter	kjit
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kjet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kit̚/
Li Rong	/kiĕt̚/
Wang Li	/kĭĕt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ki̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ji
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gat¹

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More information Character, Reading # ...

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jí
Middle Chinese	‹ kjit ›
Old Chinese	/C.qi[t]/ (C.q- > *k-, escaping palatalization)
English	auspicious
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

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More information Zhengzhang system (2003), Character ...

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
No.	5692
Phonetic component	吉
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	吉
Old Chinese	/*klid/
Notes	甲文象供品在口表神佑吉利

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Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jí (ji²)

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ji²
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gat¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): git²
Gan (Wiktionary): jit⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kit

(Hailu, HRS): gid

(Meixian, Guangdong): gid⁵
Jin (Wiktionary): jieh⁴
Northern Min (KCR): gĭ
Eastern Min (BUC): gék
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): geh⁶ / gih⁶
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kiat / kit

(Teochew, Peng'im): gig⁴
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁷ciq
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ji⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jí
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jí
  - Wade–Giles: chi²
  - Yale: jí
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyi
  - Palladius: цзи (czi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: ji²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gat¹
  - Yale: gāt
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gat⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: ged¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐt̚⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: git²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kit̚⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jit⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕit̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kit
  - Hakka Romanization System: gid^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /kit̚²/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: gid
  - Sinological IPA: /kit⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /kit̚¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jieh⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiəʔ²/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ki²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gék
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛiʔ²⁴/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: geh⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛʔ¹/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: geh⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛʔ²/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gih⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiʔ¹/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gih⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiʔ²/

Note:

geh6 - vernacular;
gih6 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiat
  - Tâi-lô: kiat
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kiad
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kiɛt̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kiɛt̚⁵/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kit
  - Tâi-lô: kit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kid
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kit̚³²/

Note:

Xiamen:
- kiat - vernacular;
- kit - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gig⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kik
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kik̚²/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou)
  - Wugniu: ⁷ciq
  - MiniDict: cih^入
  - MiniDict: cieh^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴jiq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕiɪʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡ɕiɪʔ⁴³/
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡ɕiəʔ⁵⁵/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: ji⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi²⁴/

Dialectal data

Middle Chinese: kjit

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qi[t]/

(Zhengzhang): /*klid/

Definitions

吉

auspicious; lucky
Antonym: 凶 (xiōng)

吉利 ― jílì ― auspicious; lucky
good
(Cantonese, euphemistic) empty
橫掂有間房吉咗喺度，不如租畀人住啊。 [Cantonese, trad.]
横掂有间房吉咗喺度，不如租畀人住啊。 [Cantonese, simp.]
waang⁴ dim⁶ jau⁵ gaan¹ fong^4-2 gat¹ zo² hai² dou⁶, bat¹ jyu⁴ zou¹ bei² jan⁴ zyu⁶ aa¹. [Jyutping]
Since there's an empty room, why don't we rent it out?

交吉卷 [Cantonese] ― gaau¹ gat¹ gyun² [Jyutping] ― Hand out an unanswered (empty) exam paper

吉屋 [Cantonese] ― gat¹ uk¹ [Jyutping] ― unoccupied house

吉舖／吉铺 [Cantonese] ― gat¹ pou³ [Jyutping] ― vacant shop

請問呢個位係咪吉㗎？ [Cantonese, trad.]
请问呢个位系咪吉㗎？ [Cantonese, simp.]
ceng² man⁶ ne¹ go³ wai⁶ hai⁶ mai⁶ gat¹ gaa³? [Jyutping]
Is anyone sitting here?
(Cantonese, euphemistic) emptiness; nothingness
勞碌一生得個吉 [Cantonese, trad.]
劳碌一生得个吉 [Cantonese, simp.]
lou⁴ luk¹ jat¹ sang¹ dak¹ go³ gat¹ [Jyutping]
A lifetime of labor amounts to nothing
(Taiwan, Internet slang) to accuse; to sue; to file a lawsuit; to press charges
這我一定吉／这我一定吉 ― zhè wǒ yīdìng jí ― I will definitely sue for this
- 再說認證是假的就吉你 [MSC, trad.]
  再说认证是假的就吉你 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 臺灣臺北地方法院 108 年訴字第 5610 號民事判決
  zàishuō rènzhèng shì jiǎ de jiù jí nǐ [Pinyin]
  I will sue you if you said the certification is fake again.
- 昨天造謠吳宗憲是陳菊人馬的要被吉了 [MSC, trad.]
  昨天造谣吴宗宪是陈菊人马的要被吉了 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 臺灣花蓮地方法院 108 年花秩字第 29 號刑事裁定
  zuótiān zàoyáo Wúzōngxiàn shì Chénjú rénmǎ de yào bèi jí le [Pinyin]
  The one who rumoured that Jacky Wu is Chen Chu's staff is now sued.
Used in transcription.
吉林 ― Jílín ― Jilin (from Manchu gilin)

吉爾吉斯／吉尔吉斯 ― Jí'ěrjísī ― Kyrgyzstan

吉布地 ― Jíbùdì ― Djibouti

吉隆坡 ― Jílóngpō ― Kuala Lumpur

吉爾福德／吉尔福德 ― Jí'ěrfúdé ― Guildford

姆布吉馬伊／姆布吉马伊 ― Mǔbùjí Mǎyī ― Mbuji-Mayi
1. Short for 吉林 (Jílín, “Jilin Province”).
a surname
(～縣) Ji County (a county of Linfen, Shanxi, China)

Synonyms

More information Variety, Location ...

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		空
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	空
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	空
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	空
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	空
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	空
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	空
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	空
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	空
Cantonese	Guangzhou	空, 吉
	Hong Kong	空, 吉
	Taishan	空
	Yangjiang	空
Gan	Nanchang	空
Hakka	Meixian	空
Jin	Taiyuan	空
Northern Min	Jian'ou	空
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	空
Southern Min	Xiamen	空
	Quanzhou	空
	Zhangzhou	空
	Tainan	空
	Chaozhou	空
	Jieyang	空
Wu	Suzhou	空
Wu	Wenzhou	空
Xiang	Changsha	空
Xiang	Shuangfeng	空

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Dialectal synonyms of 空 (“empty; void”) [map]

Descendants

→ English: Ji

Compounds

不吉 (bùjí)
丙吉問牛 / 丙吉问牛
尹吉甫
乞拉朋吉
交吉
凶多吉少 (xiōngduōjíshǎo)
初吉
努隆吉 (nǔlóngjí)
卜吉
即吉
吉丁
吉丁當 / 吉丁当
吉丁疙疸
吉丟古堆 / 吉丢古堆
吉亞 / 吉亚 (Jíyà)
吉人
吉人天相 (jíréntiānxiàng)
吉仁 (Jírén)
吉他 (jítā)
吉備真備 / 吉备真备
吉兆 (jízhào)
吉光片羽 (jíguāngpiànyǔ)
吉凶 (jíxiōng)
吉凶悔吝
吉凶慶弔 / 吉凶庆吊
吉凶未卜
吉利 (jílì)
吉利話 / 吉利话
吉劇 / 吉剧
吉包
吉卜賽人 / 吉卜赛人 (jíbǔsàirén)
吉卜齡 / 吉卜龄
吉占
吉吉枓枓
吉呷 (Jígā)
吉問 / 吉问
吉器
吉地
吉士 (jíshì)
吉夕
吉娃娃 (jíwáwa)
吉安 (Jí'ān)
吉屋 (jíwū)
吉川英治
吉州窯 / 吉州窑
吉布地 (Jíbùdì)
吉帖
吉席
吉慶 / 吉庆 (jíqìng)
吉慶無虞 / 吉庆无虞
吉日 (jírì)
吉日良辰
吉旦 (jídàn)
吉星文
吉星高照
吉時 / 吉时
吉普女郎
吉普賽 / 吉普赛 (Jípǔsài)
吉普車 / 吉普车 (jípǔchē)
吉月
吉服
吉朋
吉期 (jíqī)
吉林 (Jílín)
吉格代加依 (Jígédàijiāyī)
吉水 (Jíshuǐ)
吉爾吉斯 / 吉尔吉斯 (Jí'ěrjísī)
吉爾庫克 / 吉尔库克
吉特巴
吉玎玎
吉田松陰 / 吉田松阴
吉田茂
吉祥 (jíxiáng)
吉祥如意 (jíxiángrúyì)
吉祥止止
吉祥物 (jíxiángwù)
吉禮 / 吉礼 (jílǐ)
吉羊 (jíxiáng)
吉蔑 (Jímiè)
吉藏
吉言 (jíyán)
吉貝 / 吉贝 (jíbèi)
吉賽爾 / 吉赛尔
吉辛
吉達 / 吉达 (Jídá)
吉里巴斯 (Jílǐbāsī)
吉金
吉金文
吉隆坡 (Jílóngpō)
吉魯巴 / 吉鲁巴 (jílǔbā)
吉鹽 / 吉盐
喬吉 / 乔吉
喜鵲叫吉 / 喜鹊叫吉
塔吉克 (Tǎjíkè)
塔吉克族 (Tǎjíkèzú)
多凶少吉
夢蘭叶吉 / 梦兰叶吉
大吉 (dàjí)
天相吉人
巴什吉爾 / 巴什吉尔
布拉吉 (bùlāji)
帕息吉
延吉縣 / 延吉县
得個吉 / 得个吉
從吉 / 从吉
成吉思汗 (Chéngjísīhán)
擇吉 / 择吉 (zéjí)
易元吉
春風藹吉 / 春风蔼吉
月吉
有吉
木吉 (Mùjí)
東吉 / 东吉 (Dōngjí)
柏吉烏斯 / 柏吉乌斯
歐吉桑 / 欧吉桑 (ōujísāng)
永吉 (Yǒngjí)
涓吉
混吉
潭祉叶吉
王吉
班迭棉吉 (Bāndié Miánjí)
福吉
秦吉了 (qínjíliǎo)
納吉 / 纳吉 (Nàjí)
維吉尼亞 / 维吉尼亚 (Wéijíníyà)
羅鉗吉網 / 罗钳吉网
良辰吉日 (liángchénjírì)
英吉沙 (Yīngjíshā)
薩利吉勒干南庫勒 / 萨利吉勒干南库勒 (Sàlìjílègānnánkùlè)
襲吉 / 袭吉
諏吉 / 诹吉
豐臣秀吉 / 丰臣秀吉
趨吉避凶 (qūjíbìxiōng)
逢凶化吉 (féngxiōnghuàjí)
避凶就吉
避凶趨吉
邱吉爾 / 邱吉尔 (Qiūjí'ěr)
鄭吉 / 郑吉
電吉他 / 电吉他 (diànjítā)
黃道吉日 / 黄道吉日 (huángdàojírì)

References

“吉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Kanji

吉

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Etymology 1

More information Kanji in this term ...

Kanji in this term
吉
きち Grade: S
on'yomi

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Alternative forms

吉(きつ) (kitsu)

Noun

吉(きち) • (kichi)

good luck

Etymology 2

More information Kanji in this term ...

Kanji in this term
吉
きつ Grade: S
on'yomi

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Noun

吉(きつ) • (kitsu)

Alternative form of 吉 (kichi, “good luck”)

Hanja

吉 (eumhun 길할 길 (gilhal gil))

hanja form^? of 길 (“luck”)

Han character

吉: Hán Việt readings: cát^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]
吉: Nôm readings: kiết^[1]^[2]

chữ Hán form of cát (“auspicious, lucky”).

References

[genibrel-1] [1]
Génibrel (1898).

[bonet-2] [2]
Bonet (1899).

[Thiều_Chửu_(1942)-3] [3]
Thiều Chửu (1942).

[Nguyễn_(1974)-4] [4]
Nguyễn (1974).

[Trần_(1999)-5] [5]
Trần (1999).

[tdcntd-6] [6]
Nguyễn et al. (2009).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

吉

Han character

Derived characters

References

Glyph origin

Etymology

Pronunciation

Definitions

Synonyms

Descendants

Compounds

References

Kanji

Readings

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

Noun

Etymology 2

Noun

Hanja

Han character

References

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Translingual

Chinese

Japanese

Korean

Vietnamese