继 (jì) — then, afterwards (conjunction linking sequential actions or events in formal/written Chinese)
Definition
继 (jì) is a formal conjunction meaning 'then / afterwards,' used in written Chinese to link sequential actions, as in 继之/继则. Unlike 继续 (a verb meaning 'to continue'), 继 is a linking word only.
conjunction
thenafterwards (conjunction linking sequential actions or events in formal/written Chinese)
Examples
- ，继。Tā xiān zhěng lǐ hǎo wén jiàn, jì zhī kāi shǐ huì bào.He first organized the documents, then started the report.
- ，继。Wǒ men shǒu xiān kān chá xiàn chǎng, jì zé tǎo lùn fāng àn.We first surveyed the scene; then we discussed the plan.
- ，继。Tā xiān dào qiàn, jì zé jiě shì yuán yīn.He first apologized, then explained the reason.
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 繼; 继 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
㡭
㡭㡭繼jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 繼 pairs 糸 (rope) with 㡭 as a sound part; an older form may have shown four silk strands. The simplified 继 is only a later shorthand.
Appears in
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