既 (jì) — HSK 4 Recognition Character: Meaning, Radical & Stroke Order

jì already, since, then; both; de facto 9 strokes · Radical 旡 (to choke on something) · HSK 4 recognition character (认读字)

👁 Recognition only: the official HSK 4 syllabus asks you to recognize 既 when reading — handwriting it is not required (that applies to the 150 writing characters). The stroke animation below is optional but helps memory.

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced jì.

already
since
then
both
de facto

Stroke Order & Practice

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

既 — 9 strokes, numbered in writing order. 笔顺图（数字为下笔顺序）。

Decomposition

既 breaks down into 1 component arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

既 =

旡 left to choke on something

Radical

The radical of 既 is 旡 — meaning to choke on something. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

How the character is built

既 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. A person 旡 turning away from food 皀; compare 即.

HSK 4 Words Containing 既

既 jì both... (and...); since; already

这家餐厅的菜既好吃又便宜。

Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài jì hǎochī yòu piányi.

The food at this restaurant is both delicious and cheap.

既然 jìrán since; now that; given that

既然你来了，就多待一会儿。

Jìrán nǐ lái le, jiù duō dāi yíhuìr.

Since you're here, stay a while longer.

Seen in the Real Exams / 真题例句

既 appears in 9 questions across the 19 mock & official HSK 4 exams on this site. Real exam sentences using it:

我既没车也没房子，钱也很少。

From Mock Exam 16 →

Tasks Featuring 既 / 相关任务

Words containing 既 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:

📚 谈论就医情况、健康生活

Health & Medical · 既

FAQ

What does 既 mean in Chinese?

既 (jì) means already, since, then; both; de facto. It is one of the 441 characters HSK 4 requires you to recognize when reading (认读字).

How many strokes does 既 have?

既 is written in 9 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 既?

The radical of 既 is 旡 (to choke on something).

What is the pinyin for 既?

既 is pronounced jì.

What HSK 4 words use 既?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 既 appears in 2 words, including 既 (jì), 既然 (jìrán). See the full list above.