氣 is the character for “air”. It is made out of 10 strokes.
| Chinese Character | Simplified Version | Bopomofo | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 氣 | 气 | ㄑㄧˋ | qì |
Definition
Air; gas; smell; weather; to make angry; to annoy; to get angry; vital energy; qi
Historical Origins
The character 氣 is a phono-semantic compound, combining both phonetic and semantic elements. Its phonetic component is 氣 itself, pronounced qì in modern Chinese and derived from the Old Chinese pronunciation kʰɯds. The semantic component is 米 (mǐ), meaning “rice,” which historically referred to the act of giving rice as a gift, possibly symbolizing nourishment or a flow of energy.
Over time, the character 氣 evolved in meaning to refer not just to rice, but to “air,” “breath,” and “energy”—concepts tied to the idea of flow, sustenance, and vital forces. The word’s usage expanded to describe things like the flow of air or the energy vital to life. In fact, the character 餼 (xì), which is derived from the same root, originally referred to giving rice as a gift, but later meanings also evolved from the idea of nourishment.
Vocabulary with the Character 氣
| Chinese | Bopomofo | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 氣候 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄏㄡˋ | qìhòu | Climate |
| 氣氛 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄈㄣ | qìfēn | Atmosphere |
| 氣息 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄒㄧ | qìxī | Breath |
| 氣功 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄍㄨㄥ | qìgōng | Qigong (Chinese energy practice) |
| 氣質 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄓˋ | qìzhì | Temperament; Disposition |
| 生氣 | ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧˋ | shēngqì | Anger; To get angry |
| 氣囊 | ㄑㄧˋ ㄋㄤˊ | qìnáng | Airbag |
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