吉

See also: 𠮷, 喆, 吿, 告, 古, 舌, and 舎

吉	U+5409, 吉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5409

← 合
[U+5408]

CJK Unified Ideographs

吊 →
[U+540A]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

吉 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 土口 (GR), four-corner 4060₁, composition ⿱士口)

Derived characters

佶, 咭, 𡋥, 姞, 㣟, 恄, 拮, 洁, 狤, 桔, 㸵, 祮, 䂒, 硈, 秸, 袺, 結(结), 聐, 蛣, 夡, 詰(诘), 銡(𰽲), 鞊, 鮚(鲒), 黠
㐖, 劼, 㓤, 郆, 欯, 翓, 喆, 頡(颉), 鴶(𱉥), 𪜒, 迼, 趌, 䓀, 髻, 𫜖, 㔛, 臺, 嚞, 䦖, 𡕍, 調, 䭇

References

KangXi: page 175, character 2
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3289
Dae Jaweon: page 389, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 576, character 6
Unihan data for U+5409

Chinese

simp. and trad.		吉
alternative forms		𠮷

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吉
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (吉) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
秸	kriːl, kriːd
髻	*kiːds
夡	*kʰids
鴶	*kriːd
袺	kriːd, kiːd
頡	kriːd, ɡiːd
劼	*kʰriːd
硈	*kʰriːd
咭	kʰriːd, ɡlid, *qʰlid
黠	*ɡriːd
聐	*ŋreːd
趌	ked, klid, kʰid, ɡrid
結	*kiːd
拮	kiːd, klid
桔	*kiːd
狤	kiːd, klid, *ɡrid
擷	qʰiːd, ɡiːd
襭	*ɡiːd
翓	*ɡiːd
纈	*ɡiːd
吉	*klid
郆	*kid
詰	*kʰid
蛣	*kʰid
佶	ɡlid, ɡrid
鮚	*ɡrid
姞	*ɡrid
欯	*qʰlid
恄	*qʰlid

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-kjit (“happy; pleased”) (STEDT). Also compare Tibetan སྐྱིད་པ (skyid pa, “to be happy”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Cantonese sense of “empty” arises from avoidance of 空 (hung1), which is homophonous to 凶 (hung1, “inauspicious”).

The Taiwanese Chinese sense of “to sue” arises from avoidance of 告 (gào, “to sue”), which is a typo form of it.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jí (ji²)
(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˊ
(Chengdu, SP): ji²
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): gat¹
(Taishan, Wiktionary): git²
Gan (Wiktionary): jit⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kit
(Meixian, Guangdong): gid⁵
Jin (Wiktionary): jieh⁴
Min Bei (KCR): gĭ
Min Dong (BUC): gék
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): kiat / kit
(Teochew, Peng'im): gig⁴
Wu (Wiktionary): jiq (T4)
Xiang (Wiktionary): ji⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jí
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jí
  - Wade–Giles: chi²
  - Yale: jí
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyi
  - Palladius: цзи (czi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: ji²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: gat¹
  - Yale: gāt
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gat⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: ged¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐt̚⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: git²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kit̚⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jit⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕit̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kit
  - Hakka Romanization System: gid`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /kit̚²/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /cit̚¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jieh⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiəʔ²/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ki²⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gék
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛiʔ²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiat
  - Tâi-lô: kiat
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kiad
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kiɛt̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kiɛt̚⁵/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kit
  - Tâi-lô: kit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kid
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kit̚³²/

Note:

Xiamen:
- kiat - vernacular;
- kit - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gig⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kik
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kik̚²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: jiq (T4)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɪʔ⁵⁵/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: ji⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi²⁴/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 吉
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕi³⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕi⁴⁴/ /t͡ɕi²⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕi⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕi⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕi²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕji⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕi⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕi¹³/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕie³¹/ /t͡ɕi³¹/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕi²¹/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕi³¹/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕiʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕiəʔ²/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕiʌʔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡ɕiɪʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕai²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕiʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/t͡ɕi⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/t͡ɕi²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡ɕiʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/kit̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/kit̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɐt̚⁵/
	Nanning	/kɐt̚⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɐt̚⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/kit̚³²/ /kiat̚³²/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/kɛiʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/ki²⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/kik̚²/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/kit̚⁵/

Middle Chinese: /kiɪt̚/

Rime
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	眞 (48)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	居質切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kjet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kit̚/
Li Rong	/kiĕt̚/
Wang Li	/kĭĕt̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ji
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gat¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qi[t]/
(Zhengzhang): /*klid/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jí
Middle Chinese	‹ kjit ›
Old Chinese	/C.qi[t]/ (C.q- > *k-, escaping palatalization)
English	auspicious
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	吉
Reading #	1/1
No.	5692
Phonetic component	吉
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	吉
Old Chinese	/*klid/
Notes	甲文象供品在口表神佑吉利

Definitions

吉

auspicious; lucky
Antonym: 凶 (xiōng)
吉利 ― jílì ― auspicious; lucky
good
(Cantonese, euphemistic) empty
Synonym: 空 (kōng)
橫掂有間房吉咗喺度，不如租畀人住啊。 [Cantonese, trad.]
横掂有间房吉咗喺度，不如租畀人住啊。 [Cantonese, simp.]
waang⁴ dim⁶ jau⁵ gaan¹ fong^4-2 gat¹ zo² hai² dou⁶, bat¹ jyu⁴ zou¹ bei² jan⁴ zyu⁶ aa¹. [Jyutping]
Since there's an empty room, why don't we rent it out?
交吉卷 [Cantonese] ― gaau¹ gat¹ gyun² [Jyutping] ― Hand out an unanswered (empty) exam paper
(Cantonese, euphemistic) emptiness; nothingness
勞碌一生得個吉 [Cantonese, trad.]
劳碌一生得个吉 [Cantonese, simp.]
lou⁴ luk¹ jat¹ saang¹ dak¹ go³ gat¹ [Jyutping]
A lifetime of laborious hardworking amounts to nothing
Short for 吉林 (Jílín, “Jilin Province”).
a surname
(Taiwan, Internet slang) to accuse; to sue; to file a lawsuit; to press charges
這我一定吉／这我一定吉 ― zhè wǒ yīdìng jí ― I will definitely sue for this
- 再說認證是假的就吉你 [MSC, trad.]
  再说认证是假的就吉你 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 臺灣臺北地方法院 108 年訴字第 5610 號民事判決
  zàishuō rènzhèng shì jiǎ de jiù jí nǐ [Pinyin]
  I will sue you if you said the certification is fake again.
- 昨天造謠吳宗憲是陳菊人馬的要被吉了 [MSC, trad.]
  昨天造谣吴宗宪是陈菊人马的要被吉了 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 臺灣花蓮地方法院 108 年花秩字第 29 號刑事裁定
  zuótiān zàoyáo Wúzōngxiàn shì Chénjú rénmǎ de yào bèi jí le [Pinyin]
  The one who rumoured that Jacky Wu is Chen Chu's staff is now sued.
(～縣) Ji County (a county of Linfen, Shanxi, China)

Descendants

→ English: Ji

Compounds

Derived terms from 吉

不吉 (bùjí)
乞拉朋吉
交吉
初吉
卜吉
即吉
吉丁
吉丁疙疸
吉人
吉人天相
吉仁 (Jírén)
吉他 (jítā)
吉兆 (jízhào)
吉光片羽 (jíguāngpiànyǔ)
吉利 (jílì)
吉包
吉吉枓枓
吉呷 (Jígā)
吉器
吉地
吉士 (jíshì)
吉夕
吉娃娃 (jíwáwa)
吉安 (Jí'ān)
吉屋 (jíwū)
吉川英治
吉布地 (Jíbùdì)
吉帖
吉席
吉日 (jírì)
吉日良辰
吉旦
吉星文
吉星高照
吉普女郎
吉月
吉朋
吉服
吉期 (jíqī)
吉林 (Jílín)
吉格代加依 (Jígédàijiāyī)
吉水 (Jíshuǐ)
吉特巴
吉玎玎
吉田茂
吉祥 (jíxiáng)

吉祥如意 (jíxiángrúyì)
吉祥止止
吉祥物 (jíxiángwù)
吉羊
吉蔑 (Jímiè)
吉藏
吉言 (jíyán)
吉辛
吉金
吉金文
吉隆坡 (Jílóngpō)
塔吉克 (Tǎjíkè)
塔吉克族 (Tǎjíkèzú)
大吉 (dàjí)
天相吉人
尹吉甫 (Yǐn Jífǔ)
帕息吉
成吉思汗 (Chéngjísīhán)
易元吉
月吉
木吉 (Mùjí)
永吉 (Yǒngjí)
涓吉
混吉
王吉
班迭棉吉 (Bāndié Miánjí)
福吉
秦吉了 (qínjíliǎo)
良辰吉日
英吉沙 (Yīngjíshā)
凶多吉少 (xiōngduōjíshǎo)
吉凶 (jíxiōng)
吉凶悔吝
吉凶未卜
吉占
吉里巴斯 (Jílǐbāsī)
多凶少吉
潭祉叶吉
逢凶化吉
避凶就吉
丙吉問牛／丙吉问牛
吉丁當／吉丁当
吉丟古堆／吉丢古堆
吉亞／吉亚 (Jíyà)
吉備真備／吉备真备
吉凶慶弔／吉凶庆吊

吉利話／吉利话
吉劇／吉剧
吉卜賽人／吉卜赛人 (jíbǔsàirén)
吉卜齡／吉卜龄
吉問／吉问
吉州窯／吉州窑
吉慶／吉庆 (jíqìng)
吉慶無虞／吉庆无虞
吉時／吉时
吉普賽／吉普赛 (Jípǔsài)
吉普車／吉普车 (jípǔchē)
吉爾吉斯／吉尔吉斯 (Jí'ěrjísī)
吉爾庫克／吉尔库克
吉田松陰／吉田松阴
吉禮／吉礼 (jílǐ)
吉貝／吉贝 (jíbèi)
吉賽爾／吉赛尔
吉達／吉达 (Jídá)
吉魯巴／吉鲁巴 (jílǔbā)
吉鹽／吉盐
喜鵲叫吉／喜鹊叫吉
喬吉／乔吉
夢蘭叶吉／梦兰叶吉
巴什吉爾／巴什吉尔
延吉縣／延吉县
得個吉／得个吉
從吉／从吉
擇吉／择吉 (zéjí)
春風藹吉／春风蔼吉
東吉／东吉 (Dōngjí)
柏吉烏斯／柏吉乌斯
歐吉桑／欧吉桑 (ōujísāng)
納吉／纳吉
維吉尼亞／维吉尼亚 (Wéijíníyà)
羅鉗吉網／罗钳吉网
薩利吉勒干南庫勒／萨利吉勒干南库勒 (Sàlìjílègānnánkùlè)
襲吉／袭吉
諏吉／诹吉
豐臣秀吉／丰臣秀吉
趨吉避凶／趋吉避凶 (qūjíbìxiōng)
避凶趨吉／避凶趋吉
邱吉爾／邱吉尔 (Qiūjí'ěr)
鄭吉／郑吉
電吉他／电吉他 (diànjítā)
黃道吉日／黄道吉日 (huángdàojírì)

References

“吉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學／香港中文大学 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

吉

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

Go-on: きち (kichi, Jōyō)
Kan-on: きつ (kitsu, Jōyō)
Kun: よい (yoi, 吉い); よし (yoshi, 吉し)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
吉
きち Grade: S
on’yomi

Alternative forms

吉(きつ) (kitsu)

Noun

吉(きち) • (kichi)

good luck

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
吉
きつ Grade: S
on’yomi

Noun

吉(きつ) • (kitsu)

Alternative form of 吉 (kichi, “good luck”)

Korean

Hanja

吉 (eumhun 길할 길 (gilhal gil))

Hanja form^? of 길 (“luck”).

Vietnamese

Han character

吉: Hán Việt readings: cát[1][2][3][4][5][6]
吉: Nôm readings: kiết[1][2]

chữ Hán form of cát (“auspicious, lucky”).

References

Génibrel (1898).
Bonet (1899).
Thiều Chửu (1942).
Nguyễn (1974).
Trần (1999).
Nguyễn et al. (2009).

[genibrel-1] Génibrel (1898).

[bonet-2] Bonet (1899).

[Thiều_Chửu_(1942)-3] Thiều Chửu (1942).

[Nguyễn_(1974)-4] Nguyễn (1974).

[Trần_(1999)-5] Trần (1999).

[tdcntd-6] Nguyễn et al. (2009).