Character Familiesleft / right

际jì

border; edge; boundary (交界或靠边的地方); between; inter- (彼此之间); occasion; time (时候)

际 is where things meet: 国际 'international', 交际 'social contact', and the 边际 'edge' of it all.

GF0025–2021 character list · 二级
One character pageAll readings and linked senses stay together.

left / right

ZDIC: 形声,从阝、示声.

left / right · 际

WHOLE CHARACTER

际jì

border; edge; boundary (交界或靠边的地方); between; inter- (彼此之间); occasion; time (时候)

际 is where things meet: 国际 'international', 交际 'social contact', and the 边际 'edge' of it all.

ZDIC: 形声,从阝、示声.

MEANING: THE LEFT MOUND-EAR 阜 — RISING GROUND THAT MARKS A BOUNDARY

阝fù; yì

mound/step-hill (阜, the LEFT ear); city/place (邑, the RIGHT ear)

A bound radical form with two shapes: the left ear from 阜 (as in 院), the right ear from 邑 (as in 那, 部). Not a standalone page.

In 际: meaning: the left mound-ear 阜 — rising ground that marks a boundary Shown with its documented or clearly limited role.

OLD SOUND SIDE: 示 (SHÌ)

示shì

to show; display

A standalone dictionary graph; in 票 it is shown as the bottom piece without a claimed role.

In 际: old sound side: 示 (shì) No close modern sound relation: the initial differs (j vs sh) and the vowels are different types (palatal i vs retroflex i); the tone matches (both 4th). Treated as the historical sound side, not a learner hint.

jìTone 4
  • border; edge; boundary (交界或靠边的地方)
  • between; inter- (彼此之间)
  • occasion; time (时候)
  • 国际guójìinternational
  • 交际jiāojìsocial contact
  • 边际biānjìboundary; limit

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