机

機

jī

几 + 木

Definitions

jī (noun) machine; engine

jī (noun) opportunity

jī (noun) aircraft

jī (noun) crucial point; key element

Etymology

Simplified form of 機. Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound.

About

The character 机, meaning machine, mechanism, or opportunity, is the simplified form of 機. It combines the semantic component 木 (wood) on the left with the phonetic 几 on the right. The traditional form pairs 木 with the phonetic 幾, and originally denoted the intricate wooden mechanism of a weaving loom. Over time, its meaning broadened to encompass any complex mechanical device or engine. From the idea of a mechanism's triggering point, it also acquired the abstract sense of a crucial moment or opportune chance. Today, 机 appears in vocabulary relating to both machinery and critical situations.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一架飞机。

Zhè shì yī jià fēijī.

This is an airplane.

我的手机坏了。

Wǒ de shǒujī huài le.

My phone is broken.

他抓住了好机会。

Tā zhuāzhù le hǎo jīhuì.

He seized a good opportunity.

机场里有很多人。

Jīchǎng lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.

There are many people at the airport.

机器人的技术很先进。

Jīqìrén de jìshù hěn xiānjìn.

Robot technology is very advanced.

她机智地解决了问题。

Tā jīzhì de jiějué le wèntí.

She cleverly solved the problem.

这个机关的设计非常巧妙。

Zhège jīguān de shèjì fēicháng qiǎomiào.

The design of this mechanism is very ingenious.

在危机中寻找转机需要智慧。

Zài wēijī zhōng xúnzhǎo zhuǎnjī xūyào zhìhuì.

Finding a turnaround in a crisis requires wisdom.

Related Characters

Component: 几

Component: 木

机