希

See also: 稀

希	U+5E0C, 希 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5E0C

← 帋
[U+5E0B]

CJK Unified Ideographs

帍 →
[U+5E0D]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

希 (Kangxi radical 50, 巾+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 大大中月 (KKLB), four-corner 4022₇, composition ⿱㐅布)

Derived characters

桸, 唏, 浠, 稀, 晞, 烯, 郗, 欷, 豨, 瓻, 鵗

References

KangXi: page 329, character 18

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8813

Dae Jaweon: page 634, character 29

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 731, character 19

Unihan data for U+5E0C

Chinese

Glyph origin

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

	Old Chinese
桸	hral, hlɯl
郗	*l̥ʰɯl
絺	*l̥ʰɯl
脪	l̥ʰɯl, hrɯnʔ, *hlɯns
瓻	*l̥ʰɯl
希	*hlɯl
晞	*hlɯl
莃	*hlɯl
鵗	*hlɯl
稀	*hlɯl
睎	*hlɯl
豨	hlɯl, hlɯlʔ
悕	*hlɯl
俙	hlɯl, hlɯlʔ
欷	hlɯl, hlɯls
浠	*hlɯl
唏	hlɯlʔ, hlɯls

Originally 𢁫, ideogrammic compound (會意) : 爻 + 巾 (“cloth”).

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		希
alternative forms		𢁫㠻𠬹𢂞𭤔𢁫㠻𠬹𢂞𭤔𫯜

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xī (xi¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hei¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): hî
(Meixian, Guangdong): hi¹
Min Dong (BUC): hĭ
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): hi
(Teochew, Peng'im): hi¹
Wu (Wiktionary): xi (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xī
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: si
  - Wade–Giles: hsi¹
  - Yale: syī
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shi
  - Palladius: си (si)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: hei¹
  - Yale: hēi
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hei¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: héi¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hei̯⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hî
  - Hakka Romanization System: hi´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: hi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /hi²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: hi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /çi⁴⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: hĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hi
  - Tâi-lô: hi
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hy
  - IPA (Xiamen): /hi⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /hi³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /hi⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /hi⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /hi⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: hi¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi³³/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: xi (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵³/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 希
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/ɕi²¹/
	Jinan	/ɕi²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ɕi²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/ɕi²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ɕi²¹/
	Xining	/ɕji⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ɕi³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ɕi³¹/
	Hefei	/sz̩²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕi¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ɕi¹³/
	Hohhot	/ɕi³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi⁵³/
	Suzhou	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ɕi³³/
	Wenzhou	/sz̩³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕi³¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/ɕi¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ɕi³³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/ɕi³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕi⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/hi⁴⁴/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/hi²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/hei⁵³/
	Nanning	/hi⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/hei⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/hi⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/hi⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/xi⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/hi³³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/hi²³/

Middle Chinese: /hɨi/

Rime
Character	希
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	微 (20)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	香衣切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/hɨi/
Pan Wuyun	/hɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/xiəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/hɨj/
Li Rong	/xiəi/
Wang Li	/xĭəi/
Bernard Karlgren	/xe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hei¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*qʰəj/
(Zhengzhang): /*hlɯl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	希
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xī
Middle Chinese	‹ xjɨj ›
Old Chinese	/*qʰəj/
English	thin, sparse
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	希
Reading #	1/1
No.	13250
Phonetic component	希
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	希
Old Chinese	/*hlɯl/

Definitions

希

^† Original form of 稀 (xī, “rare; sparse”).
to hope; to expect; to strive for
to admire; to look up to
Synonym of 絺／𫄨 (chī).

Compounds

三希堂
不希罕
伯希和
先意希旨
克希荷夫
布希 (Bùxī)
布希曼
希世
希世之珍
希企
希光
希冀 (xījì)
希利尼 (Xīlìní)
希古
希吾勒 (Xīwúlè)
希夷
希奇
希奇古怪
希少
希微
希有
希望 (xīwàng)
希望工程

希求 (xīqiú)
希特勒 (Xītèlè)
希珍
希罕
希行
抗心希古
普希金 (Pǔxījīn)
朱希真
波希
阿日希 (Ārìxī)
一線希望／一线希望
大音希聲／大音希声 (dàyīnxīshēng)
奧特貝希／奥特贝希 (Àotèbèixī)
希世之寶／希世之宝
希伯來／希伯来 (Xībólái)
希伯來人／希伯来人 (xībóláirén)
希伯來書／希伯来书 (Xībóláishū)
希力奧斯／希力奥斯
希區考克／希区考克
希圖／希图 (xītú)
希希罕兒／希希罕儿
希斯亞德／希斯亚德
希望小學／希望小学 (xīwàng xiǎoxué)

希爛／希烂
希爾頓／希尔顿 (Xī'ěrdùn)
希聖／希圣
希聲／希声
希臘／希腊 (Xīlà)
希臘哲學／希腊哲学
希臘字母／希腊字母
希臘建築／希腊建筑
希臘戲劇／希腊戏剧
希臘教會／希腊教会
希臘正教／希腊正教
希臘神話／希腊神话
希臘群島／希腊群岛
希詫／希诧
希風／希风
幾希／几希
庫木巴希／库木巴希 (Kùmùbāxī)
承風希旨／承风希旨
望風希指／望风希指
波希戰爭／波希战争
波希米亞／波希米亚 (Bōxīmǐyà)
貝希斯敦／贝希斯敦 (Bèixīsīdūn)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 希 – see 稀 (“rare; uncommon; scarce; sparse; etc.”). (This character, 希, is the second-round simplified form of 稀.)
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

希

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

beg, request
hope
rare (also 稀)
Greece (short for 希臘 (Girishia))

Readings

Go-on: け (ke)
Kan-on: き (ki, Jōyō)
Kun: まれ (mare, 希); のぞみ (nozomi); こいねがう (koinegau, 希う)
Nanori: の (no); のぞ (nozo); のぞみ (nozomi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
希
き Grade: 4
on’yomi

Pronunciation

On’yomi

IPA^(key): [kʲi]

Affix

希(き) • (ki)

to hope

Compounds

希(き)求(きゅう) (kikyū)
希(き)望(ぼう) (kibō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
希
き Grade: 4
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
稀

希 is a daiyōji replacing 稀.

Pronunciation

On’yomi

IPA^(key): [kʲi]
IPA^(key): [ke̞]

Affix

希(き) or 希(け) • (ki or ke)

rare; scarce
sparse; dilute

Compounds

希(き)ガス (kigasu)
希(き)釈(しゃく) (kishaku)
希(き)少(しょう) (kishō)
希(き)薄(はく) (kihaku)
希(け)有(う) (keu)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
希
まれ Grade: 4
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 希 – see the following entry.

【稀まれ】J

[adjective] rare

(This term, 希, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

希 • (hui) (hangeul 희)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

希: Hán Nôm readings: hơi, he, hê, hy, hây, hi, thu

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.