How to write 基 (jī) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

jī foundation, base 11 strokes · Radical 土 (soil) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced jī.

foundation
base

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

Decomposition

基 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Top + Bottom. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

基 =

其 top his

土 bottom soil

Radical

The radical of 基 is 土 — meaning soil. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 增堂土.

How the character is built

基 is a phono-semantic compound. The semantic component 土 (earth) carries the meaning, while the phonetic component 其 originally indicated the sound.

HSK 4 Words Containing 基

基本 jīběn basic; fundamental; basically

这是最基本的要求。

Zhè shì zuì jīběn de yāoqiú.

This is the most basic requirement.

基本上 jīběnshàng basically; on the whole

工作基本上完成了。

Gōngzuò jīběnshàng wánchéng le.

The work is basically finished.

基础 jīchǔ foundation; basis

学好基础很重要。

Xué hǎo jīchǔ hěn zhòngyào.

It's important to learn the basics well.

FAQ

What does 基 mean in Chinese?

基 (jī) means foundation, base. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 基 have?

基 is written in 11 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 基?

The radical of 基 is 土 (soil). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 增, 堂, 土.

What is the pinyin for 基?

基 is pronounced jī.

What HSK 4 words use 基?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 基 appears in 3 words, including 基本 (jīběn), 基本上 (jīběnshàng), 基础 (jīchǔ). See the full list above.