Definitions

zhì (noun) flag

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "帜", meaning a flag or banner, evolved from its traditional form "幟", which is constructed from the cloth radical "巾" and the phonetic component "戠", the latter associated with marking or distinguishing. This structure originally reflected its use as a cloth-based identifier for military units, settlements, or ceremonies, serving as a visible symbol of affiliation or purpose. While its fundamental meaning as a physical banner has remained stable over time, the character has also come to represent abstract notions such as political causes or ideological stances in metaphorical usage. The graphical simplification to "帜" involved substituting the complex phonetic "戠" with "只", a component that approximates the pronunciation, thereby reducing the character's complexity without diverging from its core semantic field centered on flags and signs.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

广场上有一面旗

Guǎngchǎng shàng yǒu yī miàn qízhì.

There is a flag on the square.

这面旗很鲜艳。

Zhè miàn qízhì hěn xiānyàn.

This flag is very bright.

我们热爱我们的旗

Wǒmen rè'ài wǒmen de qízhì.

We love our flag.

在风中飘扬。

Qízhì zài fēng zhōng piāoyáng.

The flag is fluttering in the wind.

他把旗挂在了墙上。

Tā bǎ qízhì guà zài le qiáng shàng.

He hung the flag on the wall.

鲜艳的旗迎风招展。

Xiānyàn de qízhì yíngfēng zhāozhǎn.

The bright flag is waving in the wind.

代表我们的国家。

Qízhì dàibiǎo wǒmen de guójiā.

The flag represents our country.

在盛大的庆典中,无数旗迎风飘扬。

Zài shèngdà de qìngdiǎn zhōng, wúshù qízhì yíngfēng piāoyáng.

In the grand celebration, countless flags are fluttering in the wind.