Definition
气 (qì) is a versatile noun-verb: as a noun it means 'air' or 'smell' (everyday use, less specific than 气体 for 'gas' or 气味 for 'odor'); as a verb it means 'to be angry' or 'to annoy' — more active/transitive than 生气 (shēng qì), which is the common word for 'to get angry'.
noun
airgassmellodor
verb
to be angryto make angryto annoy
Easily confused
- 起qǐsound-alike(verb) to get up; to rise
- 其qísound-alike(possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their (used before a noun)
- 七qīsound-alikeseven
- 骑qísound-aliketo ride (a horse, bike, or other vehicle one sits astride)
- 期qīsound-alike(classifier) for issues of a periodical (magazine, newspaper, etc.)
- 齐qísound-alike(adjective) neat, even, uniform
- 漆qīsound-alike(noun) paint, lacquer
- 沏qīsound-aliketo steep (tea), to brew (tea)
Examples
- 气chētāi méi qì leThe tire has no air.
- zhège fángjiān yǒu gǔ nánwén de qì wèiThis room has a bad smell.
- 气。Tā qì de liǎn dōu hóng le.She was so angry her face turned red.
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