姬

jī

女 + 𦣞

Frequency#2683

Definitions

jī (noun) concubine; female entertainer

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 𦣞 represents the sound.

About

The character "姬" originated as an ancient Chinese surname, notably linked to the Yellow Emperor and the royal house of Zhou, with its structure combining the semantic component "女" for woman and the phonetic component "𠶷". Initially serving as a clan designation, its meaning expanded to refer to women of noble lineage and later specialized to denote concubines or female attendants within aristocratic circles. Over time, the character's application shifted to include female entertainers, while it continues to appear in historical and literary contexts pertaining to women of high status.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这位歌姬很受欢迎。

Zhè wèi gē jī hěn shòu huān yíng.

This female singer is very popular.

舞姬在台上表演舞蹈。

Wǔ jī zài tái shàng biǎo yǎn wǔ dǎo.

The female dancer is performing on stage.

虞姬是项羽的爱人。

Yú Jī shì Xiàng Yǔ de ài rén.

Yu Ji was Xiang Yu's lover.

古代有许多能歌善舞的姬妾。

Gǔ dài yǒu xǔ duō néng gē shàn wǔ de jī qiè.

In ancient times, there were many concubines who were good at singing and dancing.

那位著名的歌姬举办了一场音乐会。

Nà wèi zhù míng de gē jī jǔ bàn le yī chǎng yīn yuè huì.

That famous female singer held a concert.

虽然她出身平凡，但最终成为了一代歌姬。

Suī rán tā chū shēn píng fán, dàn zuì zhōng chéng wéi le yī dài gē jī.

Although she came from an ordinary background, she eventually became a generation's female singer.

与舞姬相比，歌姬更注重声音的培训。

Yǔ wǔ jī xiāng bǐ, gē jī gèng zhù zhòng shēng yīn de péi xùn.

Compared to female dancers, female singers pay more attention to voice training.

在历史记载中，姬姓曾是周朝的王族姓氏。

Zài lì shǐ jì zǎi zhōng, jī xìng céng shì Zhōu cháo de wáng zú xìng shì.

In historical records, the Ji surname was once the royal surname of the Zhou dynasty.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 𦣞

Example Words