Definitions

zhī (verb) to weave; to knit

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for "to weave", now commonly seen as "织", originates from its traditional form "織", which is composed of the semantic component "糸" (silk, thread) and the phonetic component "戠". This structure directly indicates the action of working with threads to create fabric. Over time, the core meaning of interlacing threads to form cloth remained central, but its application broadened to include the metaphorical construction or fabrication of more abstract things, such as plots or dreams. The simplified form "织" retains the "糸" component while substituting the complex "戠" with "只", which serves a primarily phonetic function in the modern pronunciation.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

妈妈在毛衣。

Māmā zài zhī máoyī.

Mom is knitting a sweater.

蜘蛛在一张网。

Zhīzhū zài zhī yī zhāng wǎng.

A spider is weaving a web.

这种布是用丝绸的。

Zhè zhǒng bù shì yòng sīchóu zhī de.

This cloth is woven from silk.

她组了一次班级活动。

Tā zǔzhīle yīcì bānjí huódòng.

She organized a class activity.

这些故事交在一起。

Zhèxiē gùshì jiāozhī zài yīqǐ.

These stories are intertwined.

我们要编自己的梦想。

Wǒmen yào biānzhī zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.

We need to weave our own dreams.

公司有着严密的组结构。

Gōngsī yǒuzhe yánmì de zǔzhī jiégòu.

The company has a tight organizational structure.

灯光与树影交出梦幻的氛围。

Dēngguāng yǔ shù yǐng jiāozhī chū mènghuàn de fēnwéi.

The light and the shadows of trees interweave to create a dreamlike atmosphere.