Learn a Chinese Character - 界

1. Character Basics

Radical: 田/tián (field radical)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiè (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Boundary, border, limit, boundary line, border line, division, demarcation, sphere, domain, world, field, circle, realm, class, category, to divide, to separate, to mark off

4. Common Words

• 世界 (shì jiè) - world

  世界很大，我想去看看。

  The world is big; I want to see it.

• 界限 (jiè xiàn) - boundary, limit

  我们应该清楚自己的界限。

  We should be clear about our own boundaries.

• 边界 (biān jiè) - border, boundary

  中国的边界很长。

  China has a long border.

• 国界 (guó jiè) - national boundary

  我们不能随意跨越国界。

  We cannot casually cross national boundaries.

• 业界 (yè jiè) - industry, business circle

  他在业界很有名气。

  He is very famous in the industry.

• 眼界 (yǎn jiè) - field of vision, horizon

  旅行可以开阔眼界。

  Travel can broaden one's horizons.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 界 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As a noun:

  Indicates a boundary, border, or limit

  Example: 这条河是两国的边界。 (This river is the boundary between the two countries.)

• In compound words:

  Often combined with other characters to form words related to boundaries, limits, or specific fields

  Examples: 世界 (world), 界限 (boundary), 边界 (border), 国界 (national boundary), 业界 (industry)

• Common structures:

  X界 (X field or X circle), where X can be various characters indicating specific areas

  Examples: 文学界 (literary circle), 艺术界 (art circle), 科技界 (science and technology community), 教育界 (education sector)

• In phrases:

  跨界 (kuà jiè) - cross-border, cross-field

  Example: 他是一位跨界艺术家。 (He is a cross-disciplinary artist.)

  越界 (yuè jiè) - cross the boundary, overstep the limit

  Example: 请不要越界。 (Please do not cross the boundary.)

• In formal contexts:

  Used in official documents, laws, and regulations to indicate boundaries and divisions

  Example: 国界不可侵犯。 (National boundaries are inviolable.)

• In philosophical contexts:

  境界 (jìng jiè) - state, realm, level (of achievement or understanding)

  Example: 他的艺术境界很高。 (His artistic realm is very high.)

The character 界 is primarily used to indicate boundaries, limits, or specific fields, and is widely used in both formal and everyday contexts.

6. Cultural Background

The character 界 has important cultural significance in Chinese society:

• In Chinese culture, 界 is not only used to denote physical boundaries but also abstract ones, reflecting the Chinese understanding of order, categorization, and hierarchy.
• Traditional Chinese philosophy often uses the concept of 界 to discuss the relationship between different domains, such as the natural world and human society, or the material world and the spiritual world.
• The idea of 境界 (state or realm) is particularly important in Chinese art, literature, and philosophy, representing a person's level of understanding, achievement, or spiritual cultivation.
• Historically, 界 was used to demarcate administrative regions, territorial boundaries, and social classes, playing an important role in maintaining social order and stability.
• Today, 界 is widely used in various fields including politics, economics, culture, and science, helping to categorize and organize different areas of human activity.
• The concept of 界 also reflects the Chinese cultural value of balance and harmony, as it emphasizes the importance of respecting boundaries and maintaining appropriate relationships between different entities.

Overall, the character 界 reflects important cultural values related to order, categorization, and the understanding of relationships between different domains in Chinese society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 界 (jiè) can be broken down into two parts:

• The lower part is 田 (tián), the field radical, which represents a field or cultivated land.
• The upper part is 介 (jiè), which means between or among, and can also refer to an intermediary.

To remember this character:

1. Associate the combination of 田 and 介 with the idea of dividing or marking boundaries between fields or areas.
2. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order of its 9 strokes.
3. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like 世界 (world) or 边界 (border).
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine a field (田) with markers or boundaries (介) that separate it from other fields, representing the concept of 界 (boundary or division).
5. Learn the character's cultural significance by associating it with concepts of order, categorization, and the understanding of relationships between different domains in Chinese society.
6. Notice how 界 appears in compound words with related meanings, and learn these compounds together to expand your vocabulary.