即 (jí): namely, that is, i.e.
即 (jí) is a Chinese character meaning “namely.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 卩 (structural). It ranks #293 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 即 a hungry person卩 kneeling over food 皀; compare 既. Its radical form 卩 (seal) appears in many related characters such as 印 (yìn, abbr. for 印度, India), 卫 (wèi, vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066–221 BC), located in present-day Henan and Hebei Provinces), 危 (wēi, danger).
Definitions
- namely
- that is
- i.e.
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA hungry person卩 kneeling over food 皀; compare 既
Stroke Order
Practice writing 即 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 即
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 即使conjunction | jí shǐ | even if | 4 |
| 即将adverb | jí jiāng | about to | 5 |
| 立即adverb | lì jí | immediately | 5 |
| 即便conjunction | jí biàn | even if | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 即兴 | jí xìng | improvisation (in the arts) |
| 即时 | jí shí | immediate |
| 即刻 | jí kè | immediately |
| 即可 | jí kě | equivalent to 就可以 |
| 一触即发 | yī chù jí fā | could happen at any moment |
| 转瞬即逝 | zhuǎn shùn jí shì | (idiom) fleeting |
| 随即 | suí jí | immediately |
| 即席 | jí xí | impromptu |
| 在即 | zài jí | near at hand |
| 稍纵即逝 | shāo zòng jí shì | transient |
| 当即 | dāng jí | at once |
| 即日 | jí rì | this or that very day |
| 一拍即合 | yī pāi jí hé | lit. to be together from the first beat (idiom) |
| 非此即彼 | fēi cǐ jí bǐ | either this or that |
| 即位 | jí wèi | to succeed to the throne |
即 appears in 64 compound words: 45 as the first character, 16 as the last, and 39 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 即 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (12)
neither familiar nor distant; keeping at arm's length (of a relationship with someone)
to be neither familiar nor distant; to maintain a lukewarm relationship; to be unclear; to be vague
could break out or flare up at any time (of a situation); on the verge of crisis; in a tense and volatile situation
to be neither familiar nor distant; to maintain a lukewarm relationship; to be unclear; to be vague
Example Sentences
我在字典里查到了即字的详细解释。
wǒ zài zì diǎn lǐ chá dào le jí zì de xiáng xì xiè shì .
I looked up the detailed explanation of the character "即" in the dictionary.
年后开学采购即时到位 Coupang酷澎火箭速配隔日到...
nián hòu kāi xué cǎi gòu jí shí dào wèi C o u p a n g kù péng huǒ jiàn sù pèi gé rì dào . . .
After the start of the year, the purchase is in place immediately Coupang Cool Peng rocket speed dating arrives the next day...
就学即就业! 文化大学荣登企业最爱大学生暨实习...
jiù xué jí jiù yè ! wén huà dà xué róng dēng qǐ yè zuì ài dà xué shēng jì shí xí . . .
Studying is employment! Cultural University was named the company's favorite college student and intern...
川普:加征15%关税立即生效 全球贸易重返不确定性时代
chuān pǔ : jiā zhēng 1 5 guān shuì lì jí shēng xiào quán qiú mào yì chóng fǎn bù què dìng xìng shí dài
Trump: The 15% tariff will take effect immediately Global trade returns to an era of uncertainty
世界杯商机在即 西南管理区敦促酒店业立即行动
shì jiè bēi shāng jī zài jí xī nán guǎn lǐ qū dūn cù jiǔ diàn yè lì jí háng dòng
World Cup business opportunity is imminent Southwest Management Region urges the hospitality industry to act now
...SIERRA SEA 原业主持货不足1年即赚“1球”|入伙盘成交
. . . S I E R R A S E A yuán yè zhǔ chí huò bù zú 1 nián jí zhuàn 1 qiú rù huǒ pán chéng jiāo
... SIERRA SEA earned "1 ball" in less than 1 year in the original ownership of the goods|Transaction of the partnership
战争即和平，自由即奴役，无知即力量。
Zhànzhēng jí hépíng, zìyóu jí núyì, wúzhī jí lìliang.
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
要即时扑灭那火灾并不容易。
Yào jíshí pūmiè nà huǒzāi bìngbù róngyì.
It was not easy to put out the fire at once.
毕竟，即使是神也会偶尔出差错。
Bìjìng, jíshǐ shì shén yě huì ǒu'ěr chū chācuò.
After all, even the gods may err at times.
即使他道歉了，我还是很愤怒。
Jíshǐ tā dàoqiàn le, wǒ háishi hěn fènnù.
Even though he apologized, I'm still furious.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
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What characters sound the same as 即 (jí)?
Is 即 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 即 with real-time feedback
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