Learn a Chinese Character - 佳

1. Character Basics

Radical: 亻(rén radical, "person" radical)

Stroke Count: 8

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiā

3. Meaning

good, beautiful, excellent, fine

4. Common Words

• 佳节 (jiā jié) - festive season, happy festival
• 佳人 (jiā rén) - beautiful woman
• 佳肴 (jiā yáo) - delicious food
• 佳作 (jiā zuò) - excellent work
• 佳品 (jiā pǐn) - fine product
• 佳话 (jiā huà) - fine story, good tale

5. Grammar & Usage

1. Often used as an adjective meaning "good" or "excellent"

2. Commonly appears in compound words related to positive qualities

3. Used in formal and literary contexts

4. In modern Chinese, often used in elegant or poetic expressions

6. Cultural Background

The character 佳 has been used in Chinese writing for thousands of years. It originally meant "beautiful" or "excellent", which is reflected in its structure - it consists of 亻(person) and 圭(jade), suggesting a person of jade-like quality. In Chinese culture, the concept of "佳" is often associated with beauty, excellence, and positivity, and it appears in many idioms, poems, and expressions that praise or describe positive things.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 佳 has 8 strokes. It consists of the 亻(person) radical on the left and 圭(jade) on the right. You can remember it by thinking of "a person of jade-like quality" - which connects to its meanings of being good, excellent, or beautiful.