系 xì — be; connection; relation; tie up; bind; be
他在大学读中文系。Tā zài dà xué dú Zhōng wén xì.He studies in the Chinese department at university.
Common words: 没关系 (méi guān xi)、关系 (guān xi)、联系 (lián xì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "bind"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "bind", including 系 (xì), 绑 (bǎng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "bind" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 系 (xì), 绑 (bǎng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xì, bǎng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 系 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 系 xìbe; connection; relation; tie up; bind; beUseful words: 没关系, 关系
- 绑 bǎngto tie; bind or fasten togetherUseful words: 绑架, 捆绑
Common words for these 2 "bind" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 系 (xì) — so "bind" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 2 ways to say "bind".
绑 bǎng — to tie; bind or fasten together
他用绳子把报纸捆绑了起来。Tā yòng shéng zi bǎ bào zhǐ kǔn bǎng le qǐ lái.He tied up the newspapers with a rope.
Common words: 绑架 (bǎng jià)、捆绑 (kǔn bǎng)、松绑 (sōng bǎng)
All 2 characters
Open 系、绑 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.