基 jī — foundation · English

基

jī

foundation

At a glance · 基

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

「基」从土其声，小篆从土其声，形声清晰。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「基」本义为墙脚、地基，引申基础、根本。

Structure

从土、其声，形声字，土表义类，其表音，本为地基。

At a glance

Pinyinjī

Radical土

Strokes11

UnicodeU+57FA

Character type形声

Theme建筑

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English foundation foundation, base

Français fondement Fondement, base. «荣业所基» : la base.

Español fundamento Fundamento, base. «荣业所基»: la base.

العربية أساس أساس، قاعدة. «荣业所基»: القاعدة.

Русский основа Основа, фундамент. «荣业所基»: основа.

Common words

基础jī chǔfoundation
基本jī běnbasic

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