jì: 寄 - To Mail, Send, Entrust, Lodge

• 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.

• 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.

• 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').

• 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.

寄 (jì) is a very common verb used in several distinct modern contexts.

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)

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)

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 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 jìtuō 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 jìsù 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 jìtuō 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 jìjū 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 jìshēng 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.

• 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.

• 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.