嫉

jí

女 + 疾

Definitions

jí (verb) to be jealous; to envy

jí (noun) jealousy

Etymology

An envious 疾 woman 女; 疾 also provides the pronunciation

About

嫉 is a phono-semantic compound combining 女 (woman) and 疾, where 疾 carries the meaning "envy" (rather than its more common sense "illness") and also indicates the pronunciation. Originally, the character described the jealousy stereotypically attributed to women, especially in polygamous households where concubines vied for attention. Over time, its scope widened to denote envy or resentment of another's success, possessions, or advantages, applying to anyone regardless of gender.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她经常嫉妒别人。

Tā jīngcháng jídù biérén.

She often envies others.

嫉妒是一种不好的情绪。

Jídù shì yī zhǒng bù hǎo de qíngxù.

Jealousy is a bad emotion.

他因为嫉妒而生气了。

Tā yīnwèi jídù ér shēngqì le.

He got angry because of jealousy.

不要嫉妒朋友的成就。

Bùyào jídù péngyou de chéngjiù.

Do not envy your friend's achievements.

她的嫉妒心让她很不快乐。

Tā de jídù xīn ràng tā hěn bù kuàilè.

Her jealousy makes her very unhappy.

嫉妒往往源于自卑和不安全感。

Jídù wǎngwǎng yuán yú zìbēi hé bù ānquán gǎn.

Jealousy often stems from inferiority and insecurity.

他虽然嫉妒同事的晋升，但努力掩饰了这种情绪。

Tā suīrán jídù tóngshì de jìnshēng, dàn nǔlì yǎnshì le zhè zhǒng qíngxù.

Although he envied his colleague's promotion, he tried to hide this emotion.

克服嫉妒需要自我反省和培养感恩之心。

Kèfú jídù xūyào zìwǒ fǎnxǐng hé péiyǎng gǎn'ēn zhī xīn.

Overcoming jealousy requires self-reflection and cultivating a grateful heart.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 疾

嫉