Meaning
be; connection; relation; tie up; bind; be
Chinese: 系统、关联；也可表示拴住。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “xi” becomes a different word in each tone. 系 is the 4th 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
- 没关系méi guān xiit doesn't matter
- 关系guān xirelation; relationship; to concern; to affect
- 联系lián xìconnection; contact; relation; to get in touch with
- 系统xì tǒngsystem
- 系列xì lièseries; set
Example Sentence
他在大学读中文系。Tā zài dà xué dú Zhōng wén xì.He studies in the Chinese department at university.
他Tāhe在zàiat大学dà xuéuniversity读dúto read out中文Zhōng wénChinese language系xìto connect。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A hand holding silk threads (丿 over 糸). Read xì: ‘to connect, relate; a system; a department/faculty’ (关系, 系统); also simplifies 係 ‘to be’ and 繫 ‘to tie’ (jì: 系鞋带).
A way to remember it
xì = to relate / a system (系统); jì = to tie (系鞋带).