其 (qí) — (possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their (used before a noun); pronoun referring to a previously mentioned thing or situation: that, such; in fixed compounds: (在其中) among them, (其次) next
Definition
其 (qí) is a literary pronoun meaning 'his / her / its / their' or 'that' — used in writing, not conversation. Pairs with 此 ('this') as the written counterpart; avoid it in everyday speech.
pronoun
(possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their (used before a noun)pronoun referring to a previously mentioned thing or situation: that, suchin fixed compounds: (在其中) among them(其次) next
Examples
- ，其。Tā xiě le yì běn xiǎo shuō, qí zhǔ tí hěn yǒu yì yì.He wrote a novel, and its theme is very meaningful.
- ，。Zài sān běn shū zhōng, qí zhōng yì běn shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de.Among three books, one of them is my favorite.
- ，；，。Shǒu xiān, zhè ge cí de fā yīn hěn zhòng yào; qí cì, tā de yòng fǎ yě yào zhǎng wò.First, the pronunciation of this word is important; second, its usage must be mastered too.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
The modern form 其 comes from an early drawing of a basket, with a stand added underneath.
Appears in
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