济 (jǐ) — bound form used in place names, originally referring to the Ji River (Shandong)
Definition
A bound morph meaning 'crossing' (as in the Ji River), used only in place names — 济南, 济宁. Pronounced jǐ here, not jì.
bound form
bound form used in place names, originally referring to the Ji River (Shandong)
Examples
- 济。Wǒ dǎ suàn míng nián qù jǐ nán lǚ yóu.I plan to travel to Jinan next year.
- 济。jǐ Níng shì shān dōng shěng de yí gè chéng shì.Jining is a city in Shandong Province.
- 济。Tā cóng jǐ nán bān dào le běi jīng.He moved from Jinan to Beijing.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.