Learn a Chinese Character - 极

1. Character Basics

Radical: 木 (mù radical, meaning "wood" or "tree")

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jí

3. Meaning

pole, extreme, utmost, very, extremely

4. Common Words

• 北极 (běi jí) - North Pole
• 南极 (nán jí) - South Pole
• 极限 (jí xiàn) - limit, extreme
• 极度 (jí dù) - extreme, excessive
• 积极 (jī jí) - positive, active
• 极其 (jí qí) - extremely, very

5. Grammar & Usage

1. Often used as a morpheme to form compound words related to extremes or limits

2. Can be used as a prefix meaning "extremely" or "very"

3. In some contexts, it can mean "pole" as in geographic poles

6. Cultural Background

The character 极 originally referred to the ridgepole of a house, which is the highest point of the structure. This meaning evolved to represent "extreme" or "utmost" in both spatial and abstract senses.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

To remember 极, note that it consists of 木 (wood/tree) and 及 (to reach). Think of a tall wooden pole reaching to an extreme height. The connection to "extreme" and "utmost" is clear when visualizing this imagery.