寂 (jì) — quiet; lonely
Definition
寂 is a bound written/literary form meaning 'quiet' or 'lonely.' It almost always appears as part of 寂寞, 寂静, or 沉寂 — rarely stands alone.
bound form
quietlonely
Examples
- ，。Tā yí gè rén zhù, gǎn dào hěn jì mò.He lives alone and feels very lonely.
- 。Yè wǎn de sēn lín fēi cháng jì jìng.The forest at night is very quiet.
- ，。Fáng jiān lǐ yí piàn chén jì, méi yǒu rén shuō huà.The room was completely silent, no one spoke.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánhouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
叔
叔shū寂jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
寂 is built from 宀, a house, and 叔, which gives its pronunciation.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.