ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
气
air; gas; anger; energy
qì
4 strokes · 气 — curling vapor rising — three drifting breath-lines · HSK 1
气 in traditional Chinese
氣
What 气 is made of
𠂉 + 一 + 乁 = 气
𠂉person (bent form)
乁sweeping stroke
Where 气 comes from
Three wavy lines of rising vapor: breath, steam, air. From physical breath it expanded to weather (天气), temperament (脾气) and the life-energy 气 that flows through tai chi and Chinese medicine.
气 in Chinese culture
生气 to get angry is literally 'generate qi' — anger as pressure building inside. 天气 weather, 客气 polite ('guest air'). The same 气 is the qi of qigong and kung-fu films: breath as life force.
Example
天气 tiānqì — weather
别生气！
Bié shēngqì!
Don't get angry!
How to remember it
Wavy lines of rising STEAM — AIR, breath, and boiling ANGER.
不客气 'you're welcome' literally means 'don't be guest-air-y' — drop the polite formality.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 气
天气 tiānqì
weather
生气 shēngqì
to get angry
Related characters
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