Definition
机 (jī) is a bound form (b.f.) — a morpheme that cannot stand alone as a word but appears as a root in many common compound words. Its most frequent meanings include 'machine' (飞机, 机器), 'opportunity' (机会, 机遇), and 'crucial point' (关键). It also appears in specialized terms like 有机 ('organic') and 机关 ('mechanism/organization'). Because it is a bound form, you will never see it used independently in modern Chinese; it always combines with another morpheme.
b.f.
(bound form) machinemechanical(bound form) opportunitychance(bound form) keycrucial point
Examples
- 。Wǒ zuò fēi jī qù Shànghǎi chūchāi.I take a plane to Shanghai on a business trip.
- 。Wǒ xīwàng nǐ hǎohǎo bǎwò zhège jī huì.I hope you seize this opportunity well.
- 。Zhǎo dào wèntí de jī yào shì jiějué wèntí de dì yī bù.Finding the key to the problem is the first step to solving it.
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