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 "radical"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "radical", including 基 (jī), 根 (gēn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "radical" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 基 (jī), 根 (gēn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jī, gēn — 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
- 根 gēnradical (chem.); root; basisUseful words: 根本, 根据
Common words for these 2 "radical" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 基 (jī) — so "radical" 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 "radical".
根 gēn — radical (chem.); root; basis
这棵大树的根很深。Zhè kē dà shù de gēn hěn shēn.The roots of this big tree are very deep.
Common words: 根本 (gēn běn)、根据 (gēn jù)、根源 (gēn yuán)
All 2 characters
Open 基、根 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.