Meaning
base; foundation; basic; radical (chem.)
Chinese: 基础、根基或基本。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “ji” becomes a different word in each tone. 基 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 基本jī běnbasic; fundamental; main; elementary
- 基础jī chǔbase; foundation; basis; basic
- 基本上jī běn shangbasically; on the whole
- 基地jī dìbase (of operations, industrial, military, research etc)
- 基金jī jīnfund
Example Sentence
学好基础知识很重要。Xué hǎo jī chǔ zhī shi hěn zhòng yào.It is important to master the basic knowledge.
学好Xué hǎoto follow good examples基础jī chǔbase知识zhī shiknowledge很hěnvery重要zhòng yàoimportant。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
其 (sound) over 土 (earth): the earthen foundation of a wall — ‘the base, foundation, groundwork; basic, fundamental; according to’ (基础, 基本, 基地).
A way to remember it
The earthen (土) base of a structure — foundation, basic.