Learn a Chinese Character - 介

1. Character Basics

Radical: 人/rén (person radical)

Stroke Count: 4

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiè (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Between; among; middle; to introduce; to mediate; go-between; intermediary; interface; shell; armor; a measure word; to mind; to be concerned about; to take notice of; to put between; to place between

4. Common Words

• 介绍 (jièshào) - to introduce, introduction

  请介绍一下你自己。

  Please introduce yourself.

• 中介 (zhōngjiè) - intermediary, agency

  我们通过中介找到了房子。

  We found a house through an agency.

• 介入 (jièrù) - to intervene, to get involved

  政府决定介入这个问题。

  The government decided to intervene in this issue.

• 介意 (jièyì) - to mind, to care about

  我不介意你的迟到。

  I don't mind your being late.

• 介质 (jièzhì) - medium, medium of communication

  空气是声音传播的介质。

  Air is a medium for sound propagation.

• 一介 (yījiè) - a (measure word for a person)

  他只是一介书生。

  He is just a scholar.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 介 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As a preposition:

  Used to indicate between or among

  Example: 介于两者之间 (jiè yú liǎng zhě zhī jiān - between the two)

• As a verb:

  To introduce, to mediate, to put between

  Examples: 介绍 (to introduce), 介宾 (to mediate between guests)

• As a noun:

  Intermediary, go-between, interface, or something that is between two things

  Examples: 中介 (intermediary), 介质 (medium), 界面 (interface)

• As a measure word:

  Used to refer to a person in certain contexts, often with a humble or neutral connotation

  Examples: 一介平民 (yī jiè píngmín - an ordinary person), 一介书生 (yī jiè shūshēng - a scholar)

• In compound words:

  Often combined with other characters to form words related to introducing, mediating, or being between

  Examples: 介绍 (to introduce), 中介 (intermediary), 介入 (to intervene)

• In the structure "介+动":

  Where 介 modifies a verb to indicate the action is done between or through an intermediary

  Example: 介进 (to come between), 介言 (to speak between)

The character 介 is primarily used in the context of relationships, connections, and mediating between different entities or people.

6. Cultural Background

The character 介 has important cultural significance in Chinese society:

• In traditional Chinese culture, intermediaries (中介人) played crucial roles in various social interactions, such as marriages, business transactions, and resolving disputes.
• The concept of 介 reflects the importance of maintaining harmony and balance in relationships, as it often involves mediating between different parties.
• The term 介绍 (to introduce) is fundamental in Chinese social etiquette, where proper introductions are considered essential for establishing relationships.
• In Chinese philosophy, the idea of the "middle way" (中庸之道) is reflected in the character 介, which denotes something that is between two extremes.
• The measure word usage of 介, as in 一介书生 (a scholar), reflects traditional Chinese values of modesty and humility.
• The character is also used in idioms like 毫不介意 (háo bù jièyì - not mind at all) and 不足介意 (bù zú jièyì - not worth minding), which reflect cultural attitudes towards dealing with minor issues.

Overall, the character 介 reflects important cultural values related to relationships, mediation, balance, and social interactions in Chinese society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 介 (jiè) can be visualized as a person (人) standing between two things or with something between them.

To remember this character:

1. Associate the character's shape with its core meaning of "between" or "middle".
2. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order of its 4 strokes.
3. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like 介绍 (to introduce) or 中介 (intermediary).
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine someone standing (人) between two objects, representing the concept of being in the middle or acting as an intermediary.
5. Learn the character's cultural significance by associating it with concepts of relationships, mediation, and social interactions in Chinese culture.
6. Notice how 介 appears in compound words with related meanings, and learn these compounds together to expand your vocabulary.