嘰 (jī) - Onomatopoeia for chirping, squeaking, or chattering sounds & to chatter noisily

嘰Tone 1

jī ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

嘰 · jī

Onomatopoeia for chirping, squeaking, or chattering sounds;

to chatter noisily;

to nag;

to complain.

Onomatopoeia for chirping, squeaking, or chattering soundsto chatter noisilyto nag

Usage highlights

Chirping and chatteringNagging and complainingChirping soundChattering incessantlySqueaking noiseTo chatter away

Synonyms

  • 喳— chirp; chatter (similar onomatopoeia)
  • 咕— murmur; mutter (similar sound representation)

Antonyms

  • 静— quiet; silent
  • 默— silent; mute

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The birds were chirping in the trees (鸟儿在树上叽叽叫).
  • He was chattering away on the phone (他在电话里叽叽喳喳地说个不停).
  • The old machine made a squeaking noise (旧机器发出叽叽的响声).
  • Stop nagging me about it (别再叽叽歪歪了).

Collocations

  • Chirping and chattering(叽叽喳喳)
  • Nagging and complaining(叽叽歪歪)
  • Chirping sound(叽叽声)
  • Chattering incessantly(叽里咕噜)
  • Squeaking noise(叽嘎声)
  • To chatter away(叽里呱啦)

Idioms

  • Chirping and twittering(叽叽喳喳)
  • Muttering and grumbling(叽里咕噜)
  • Chattering noisily(叽里呱啦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used as onomatopoeia in Chinese to represent various light, repetitive sounds, especially those made by small animals or mechanical devices.
  • Often appears in reduplicated forms (叽叽, 叽叽喳喳) to emphasize continuous or repetitive nature of sounds.
  • Can carry negative connotations when referring to human speech, implying annoying, trivial, or incessant talking.

FAQ