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| 寄 [2025/08/12 23:07] – created xiaoer | 寄 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== jì: 寄 - To Mail, Send, Entrust, Lodge ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** 寄, jì, send Chinese, mail Chinese, Chinese for send, how to say mail in Chinese, jì xìn, jì bāoguǒ, 寄托, 寄宿, entrust Chinese, lodge in Chinese. | |
| * **Summary:** Learning how to use **寄 (jì)** is essential for everyday tasks in China, like how to **mail a letter (寄信)** or **send a package**. But this versatile Chinese character goes much deeper, also meaning to **entrust** your hopes (**寄托**) or to **lodge** somewhere temporarily (**寄宿**). This guide covers all meanings of **寄 (jì)**, helping you understand how to use this common verb in both practical and cultural contexts, from sending mail to expressing deep emotions. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** jì | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To send something via a third-party service (like mail); to entrust; to lodge temporarily. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** At its heart, **寄 (jì)** is about giving something over to someone or something else for safekeeping or transport. Whether you're **寄**-ing a package to a friend, **寄**-ing your hopes on your children's future, or **寄**-ing yourself in a dormitory at a new school, the core idea is placing something or someone in the care of another. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **寄 (jì):** This character is a combination of two parts: | |
| * Top: **宀 (mián)** - This is the "roof" radical, symbolizing a house or dwelling. | |
| * Bottom: **奇 (qí)** - This character means "strange" or "unusual". It acts as the phonetic component here, but we can use it to create a story. | |
| * **Combined Meaning:** Imagine a "strange" or unfamiliar item being left under someone else's "roof". This perfectly captures the idea of entrusting something to a post office (another 'house') to be sent, or a person temporarily lodging in a new place (a 'strange' person under a new 'roof'). | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| * In Chinese culture, **寄 (jì)** carries significant emotional weight beyond its practical use for mailing things. The concept of **寄托 (jìtuō)**—entrusting feelings or hopes—is particularly profound. It reflects a tendency to place deep, often unspoken, emotions or aspirations onto an object, a person, or an artistic creation. A scholar might **寄托** his love for his homeland in a poem; a parent **寄托** all their dreams for success in their child. | |
| * **Comparison to Western Culture:** This is different from the Western idea of simply "expressing" feelings. **寄托 (jìtuō)** is more like investing or depositing your emotions into a vessel that will hold and represent them for you. While an American might "channel their anger into exercise," a Chinese person might **寄托** their feelings of melancholy (愁) in the act of drinking wine or gazing at the moon. It's a more passive and symbolic act of entrustment. This reflects a cultural value of indirectness and finding external repositories for powerful internal feelings. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **寄 (jì)** is a very common verb used in several distinct modern contexts. | |
| === 1. Mailing and Sending === | |
| This is the most frequent use of **寄**. It specifically refers to sending something via a postal or courier service. | |
| * **Mailing a letter:** 寄信 (jì xìn) | |
| * **Sending a package:** 寄包裹 (jì bāoguǒ) | |
| * **Sending via express delivery:** 寄快递 (jì kuàidì) | |
| === 2. Entrusting Hopes and Feelings === | |
| This usage is more abstract and emotional. It's often seen in writing and heartfelt conversations. | |
| * **Placing hope in someone/something:** 寄希望于... (jì xīwàng yú...) | |
| * **Entrusting feelings/thoughts:** 寄托 (jìtuō) | |
| === 3. Temporary Lodging === | |
| This refers to living somewhere temporarily, under someone else's roof. | |
| * **Boarding at a school:** 寄宿 (jìsù) | |
| * **To lodge with someone:** 寄居 (jìjū) | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 我明天要去邮局**寄**一个包裹。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ míngtiān yào qù yóujú **jì** yí ge bāoguǒ. | |
| * English: I need to go to the post office tomorrow to mail a package. | |
| * Analysis: This is the most common, literal use of **寄**. Note the use of 邮局 (yóujú - post office) as the location. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 这封信很重要，请你帮我**寄**一下。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè fēng xìn hěn zhòngyào, qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ **jì** yíxià. | |
| * English: This letter is very important, could you please help me mail it? | |
| * Analysis: A common and polite request. The phrase "一下 (yíxià)" softens the tone. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 很多父母把希望**寄**托在孩子身上。 | |
| * Pinyin: Hěn duō fùmǔ bǎ xīwàng **jì**tuō zài háizi shēnshang. | |
| * English: Many parents place their hopes in their children. | |
| * Analysis: This shows the abstract meaning of "entrusting". The structure "把 A 寄托在 B 身上" (bǎ A jìtuō zài B shēnshang) is very common for this meaning. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 他上的是一所**寄**宿学校。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā shàng de shì yì suǒ **jì**sù xuéxiào. | |
| * English: He attends a boarding school. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **寄** is part of the compound word **寄宿 (jìsù)**, meaning to lodge or board. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 你可以用顺丰**寄**，明天就能到。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ yòng Shùnfēng **jì**, míngtiān jiù néng dào. | |
| * English: You can send it via SF Express, it will arrive tomorrow. | |
| * Analysis: This shows how **寄** is used with modern courier services (快递 - kuàidì), not just the traditional post office. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 诗人把对故乡的思念**寄**托在诗歌里。 | |
| * Pinyin: Shīrén bǎ duì gùxiāng de sīniàn **jì**tuō zài shīgē lǐ. | |
| * English: The poet entrusted his longing for his hometown to his poetry. | |
| * Analysis: A great example of **寄托 (jìtuō)** being used for entrusting emotions into an object or art form. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 战争期间，他们一家人**寄**居在亲戚家。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhànzhēng qījiān, tāmen yì jiā rén **jì**jū zài qīnqi jiā. | |
| * English: During the war, their family lodged with relatives. | |
| * Analysis: **寄居 (jìjū)** specifically means to live somewhere temporarily, implying you are dependent on the host. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 这些文件应该**寄**到哪个地址？ | |
| * Pinyin: Zhèxiē wénjiàn yīnggāi **jì** dào nǎge dìzhǐ? | |
| * English: Which address should these documents be sent to? | |
| * Analysis: A practical question you might ask in an office or when filling out a form. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 有些藤蔓植物**寄**生在其他大树上。 | |
| * Pinyin: Yǒuxiē téngmàn zhíwù **jì**shēng zài qítā dà shù shàng. | |
| * English: Some vine plants are parasitic on other large trees. | |
| * Analysis: This shows the biological, scientific use of **寄** in the word **寄生 (jìshēng)**, meaning parasite or parasitic. | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 请把你的简历**寄**到我们公司的人力资源部。 | |
| * Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ nǐ de jiǎnlì **jì** dào wǒmen gōngsī de rénlì zīyuán bù. | |
| * English: Please send your resume to our company's HR department. | |
| * Analysis: This is a formal, written instruction. While email is common now (for which you'd use 发 fā), this phrasing is still used in formal job postings. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **寄 (jì) vs. 送 (sòng): The Intermediary is Key** | |
| * A very common mistake is to confuse **寄** with **送 (sòng)**. | |
| * **寄 (jì):** Means to send //through a service//. There's always a third party involved, like a post office or courier. | |
| * **送 (sòng):** Means to deliver something //in person//, to give as a gift, or to see someone off. | |
| * **Correct:** 我要**寄**一个包裹给我朋友。(Wǒ yào **jì** yí ge bāoguǒ gěi wǒ péngyou.) - "I want to mail a package to my friend." (Using a service). | |
| * **Correct:** 我要**送**一个礼物给我朋友。(Wǒ yào **sòng** yí ge lǐwù gěi wǒ péngyou.) - "I want to give a gift to my friend." (In person). | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我要**寄**一个礼物给我朋友。(when you are giving it to them directly). | |
| * **寄 (jì) vs. 发 (fā): Physical vs. Digital** | |
| * In the digital age, this distinction is crucial. | |
| * **寄 (jì):** Used for physical items. | |
| * **发 (fā):** Used for electronic things. `发邮件` (fā yóujiàn - send an email), `发短信` (fā duǎnxìn - send a text message), `发微信` (fā wēixìn - send a WeChat message). | |
| * **Correct:** 我给你**发**了邮件。(Wǒ gěi nǐ **fā** le yóujiàn.) - "I sent you an email." | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我给你**寄**了邮件。(Wǒ gěi nǐ **jì** le yóujiàn.) - This sounds very strange and old-fashioned to a native speaker, as if you printed the email and mailed it. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[邮寄]] (yóujì) - A more formal synonym for "to mail," often used in written contexts. | |
| * [[寄托]] (jìtuō) - To entrust one's hopes or feelings to something or someone. A key concept related to **寄**. | |
| * [[寄宿]] (jìsù) - To lodge or board, as in a **寄宿**学校 (boarding school). | |
| * [[寄生]] (jìshēng) - To be parasitic, as in a **寄生**虫 (jìshēngchóng - parasite). | |
| * [[快递]] (kuàidì) - Express delivery service. This is the service you use to **寄** things quickly. | |
| * [[包裹]] (bāoguǒ) - A package or parcel. This is the object that you **寄**. | |
| * [[收]] (shōu) - To receive. This is the direct antonym of **寄**. You **寄** a letter, and your friend **收**s the letter. | |
| * [[发送]] (fāsòng) - To send, dispatch. A more formal term often used for both physical and digital dispatches (e.g., dispatching an email, dispatching goods). Often interchangeable with **发 (fā)** for digital items. | |