倚

yǐ

亻 + 奇

HSK 3.0Level 7

Frequency#2620

Definitions

yǐ (verb) to lean on; to rely upon

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 奇 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 奇

About

The character 倚 is structured with the human radical 人 alongside the phonetic component 奇, indicating its pronunciation. Etymologically, it appeared in early Chinese texts denoting the physical act of leaning against an object for support. This literal sense extended to abstract reliance or dependence, and in classical usage, it sometimes carried connotations of bias or favoritism when referring to unbalanced support. The character's form has not altered significantly, and its contemporary meanings maintain the core ideas of leaning or relying, both in physical and figurative contexts.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我倚着大树休息。

Wǒ yǐzhe dà shù xiūxi.

I rest leaning against the big tree.

孩子倚在妈妈怀里。

Háizi yǐ zài māma huái lǐ.

The child leans in the mother's arms.

他倚靠自己的努力成功。

Tā yǐkào zìjǐ de nǔlì chénggōng.

He succeeded by relying on his own efforts.

公司倚重这位经验丰富的经理。

Gōngsī yǐzhòng zhè wèi jīngyàn fēngfù de jīnglǐ.

The company heavily depends on this experienced manager.

她倚窗而立，看着外面的风景。

Tā yǐ chuāng ér lì, kànzhe wàimiàn de fēngjǐng.

She stands by the window, watching the scenery outside.

这个计划倚仗大家的合作才能完成。

Zhège jìhuà yǐzhàng dàjiā de hézuò cái néng wánchéng.

This plan can only be completed by relying on everyone's cooperation.

在困难时期，我们互相倚靠，共渡难关。

Zài kùnnán shíqī, wǒmen hùxiāng yǐkào, gòng dù nánguān.

During difficult times, we rely on each other to overcome challenges together.

他的论点倚赖于未经证实的假设，因此缺乏说服力。

Tā de lùndiǎn yǐlài yú wèi jīng zhèngshí de jiǎshè, yīncǐ quēfá shuōfúlì.

His argument relies on unproven assumptions, thus lacking persuasiveness.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 奇

倚