基 jī — base; foundation; basic; radical (chem.)
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.
Common words: 基本 (jī běn)、基础 (jī chǔ)、基本上 (jī běn shang)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "base"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "base", including 基 (jī), 底 (de / dǐ), 座 (zuò), 础 (chǔ), 卑 (bēi). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "base" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 基 (jī), 底 (de / dǐ), 座 (zuò), 础 (chǔ), 卑 (bēi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jī, de, dǐ, zuò, chǔ, bēi — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 基 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 基 jībase; foundation; basic; radical (chem.)Useful words: 基本, 基础
- 底 de / dǐ(possessive part.); (subor. part.); background; bottom; baseUseful words: 到底, 底下
- 座 zuòseat; base; stand; measure word for large; solid thingsUseful words: 座位, 讲座
- 础 chǔfoundation; baseUseful words: 基础, 基础病
- 卑 bēilow; base; vulgar; inferior; humbleUseful words: 卑鄙, 自卑
Common words for these 5 "base" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 基 (jī) — so "base" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
基本jī běnbasic; fundamental; main; elementary基础jī chǔbase; foundation; basis; basic基本上jī běn shangbasically; on the whole到底dào dǐfinally; in the end; when all is said and done; after all底下dǐ xiathe location below sth; afterwards年底nián dǐthe end of the year; year-end座位zuò wèiseat讲座jiǎng zuòcourse of lectures; lecture series; chair (academic position)座谈会zuò tán huìconference; symposium; rap session基础jī chǔbase; foundation; basis; basic
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 5 ways to say "base".
底 de / dǐ — (possessive part.); (subor. part.); background; bottom; base
杯子底下有一些茶叶。Bēi zi dǐ xià yǒu yì xiē chá yè.There are some tea leaves at the bottom of the cup.
Common words: 到底 (dào dǐ)、底下 (dǐ xia)、年底 (nián dǐ)
座 zuò — seat; base; stand; measure word for large; solid things
请问，这个座位有人坐吗？Qǐng wèn, zhè ge zuò wèi yǒu rén zuò ma?Excuse me, is this seat taken?
Common words: 座位 (zuò wèi)、讲座 (jiǎng zuò)、座谈会 (zuò tán huì)
础 chǔ — foundation; base
数学是很多学科的基础。Shù xué shì hěn duō xué kē de jī chǔ.Mathematics is the foundation of many subjects.
Common words: 基础 (jī chǔ)、基础病 (jī chǔ bìng)、理论基础 (lǐ lùn jī chǔ)
卑 bēi — low; base; vulgar; inferior; humble
我们不应该看不起那些职位卑微的人。Wǒ men bù yīng gāi kàn bu qǐ nà xiē zhí wèi bēi wēi de rén.We should not look down on those in humble positions.
Common words: 卑鄙 (bēi bǐ)、自卑 (zì bēi)、卑下 (bēi xià)
All 5 characters
Open 基、底、座 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.