匙
Character Story & Explanation
匙 is widely used in modern Mandarin for all types of spoons — soup spoons (汤匙), tea spoons (茶匙), and measuring spoons (量匙). It appears in official documents, nutrition labels (e.g., '1 匙糖 = 4g'), and restaurant menus. A common phrase is ‘钥匙’ (yàoshi, key), where 匙 is retained historically — though unrelated to spoons, it preserves the character’s phonetic role. No major idioms feature 匙 alone; it’s almost always in compounds.
The character evolved from seal script, where 匕 clearly resembled a curved utensil. By the Han dynasty, the form stabilized into today’s shape. While oracle bone inscriptions don’t show 匙 directly, bronze inscriptions from the Warring States period include 匕-based characters for serving tools — confirming its ancient association with scooping implements.
Hi students! The character 匙 (chí) means 'spoon' — a small utensil used for eating, stirring, or measuring. It’s an HSK Level 4 character, so you’ll see it in intermediate textbooks and daily conversations. Though it looks simple, its structure is meaningful: the radical 匕 (bǐ) — originally a pictograph of a bent knife or spoon-like tool — hints at its function, while the right side 市 (shì) serves mainly as a phonetic component, helping with pronunciation (though the sound has shifted over time).
Don’t confuse 匙 with other utensil characters like 筷 (kuài, chopsticks) or 叉 (chā, fork). 匙 is always singular and neutral in tone — no plural form in Chinese, and no gender or number agreement. It appears most often in compound words (e.g., 汤匙, 茶匙), rarely alone. When reading aloud, remember: chí is second tone — rising, like asking a gentle question.
This character reflects how Chinese writing connects meaning and sound. While modern 匙 isn’t a pictograph you can easily ‘see’ (like 日 for sun), its historical roots lie in ancient bronze-age utensil inscriptions where 匕 represented scooping tools. Today, it’s practical and functional — you’ll use it on menus, in cooking shows, and even in idioms like ‘一把钥匙开一把锁’ (though that uses 钥匙, not 匙 alone!). Mastering it helps you talk about food, health (measuring medicine), and daily routines.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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