Learn a Chinese Character - 洁

1. Character Basics

Radical: 氵/shuǐ (water radical)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jié (second tone)

3. Meaning

Clean; pure; spotless; stainless; unsoiled; neat; tidy; clear; innocent; virtuous; honorable

4. Common Words

• 清洁 (qīngjié) - clean, cleanliness

  我们应该保持环境的清洁。

  We should keep the environment clean.

• 洁白 (jiébái) - pure white, snowy white

  她穿着一件洁白的连衣裙。

  She is wearing a pure white dress.

• 整洁 (zhěngjié) - neat, tidy

  他的房间总是很整洁。

  His room is always very neat.

• 廉洁 (liánjié) - honest, incorruptible

  我们需要廉洁的政府官员。

  We need honest government officials.

• 洁净 (jiéjìng) - clean, pure

  这里的空气很洁净。

  The air here is very clean.

• 高洁 (gāojié) - noble and pure, virtuous

  他是一位品德高洁的人。

  He is a person of noble and pure character.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 洁 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As an adjective:

  Used to describe something or someone that is clean, pure, or neat

  Example: 水很洁。 (The water is very clean.)

• In compound adjectives:

  Often combined with other characters to form adjectives meaning 'clean' or 'pure'

  Examples: 清洁 (clean), 洁白 (pure white), 整洁 (neat)

• In compound nouns:

  Used in nouns referring to cleanliness or purity

  Examples: 清洁员 (cleaner), 洁白度 (whiteness), 整洁性 (tidiness)

• In the structure "洁+名词":

  Where 洁 modifies a noun to indicate it's clean or pure

  Examples: 洁衣 (clean clothes), 洁食 (clean food)

• In the structure "保持/维护+洁":

  Used to mean 'to keep clean' or 'to maintain cleanliness'

  Examples: 保持清洁 (keep clean), 维护整洁 (maintain tidiness)

• In idiomatic expressions:

  Used in various idioms to describe cleanliness or purity

  Example: 冰清玉洁 (bīngqīng yùjié) - as pure as ice and jade,形容人品高尚纯洁

洁 is a positive character often used to describe physical cleanliness as well as moral purity and integrity.

6. Cultural Background

The character 洁 has important cultural significance in Chinese society:

• In traditional Chinese culture, 清洁 (cleanliness) is highly valued both in physical environments and in personal hygiene.
• The concept of 洁 extends beyond physical cleanliness to include moral purity and integrity, as seen in words like 廉洁 (incorruptible) and 高洁 (noble and pure).
• Chinese philosophy, particularly Confucianism, emphasizes the importance of maintaining a pure and virtuous character.
• Many Chinese festivals and rituals involve practices related to cleanliness and purification, such as cleaning homes before the Spring Festival.
• The character 洁 is often used in Chinese names, particularly for girls, to express the hope that the person will have a pure and virtuous character.
• In Chinese art and literature, 洁白 (pure white) is often used as a symbol of purity and innocence.

The character 洁 thus represents both the practical value of cleanliness and the deeper cultural value of moral purity and integrity in Chinese society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 洁 (jié) can be broken down into two parts:

• The left part is 氵 (shuǐ), the water radical, which means "water" or "liquid".
• The right part is 吉 (jí), which means "auspicious" or "lucky" and provides the pronunciation clue.

To remember this character:

1. Associate the combination of 氵 and 吉 with the idea of clean, pure water that is beneficial or auspicious.
2. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the three dots of the 氵 radical, then the 士 and 口 components of the 吉 part.
3. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like 清洁 (clean) or 洁白 (pure white).
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine clear water (氵) flowing around something auspicious (吉), representing the idea of cleanliness and purity.
5. Learn the character's cultural significance by associating it with concepts of moral purity and traditional Chinese values.
6. Notice how 洁 appears in compound words with related positive meanings, and learn these compounds together to expand your vocabulary.