器 (qì) - vessel, container & implement, tool

器Tone 4

qì ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

嘤志

器 · qì

vessel, container;

implement, tool;

instrument, organ;

capacity, talent;

to value, to esteem.

vessel, containerimplement, toolinstrument, organ

Usage highlights

vessel, containermachine, apparatusweapon, armselectrical applianceinstrument, toolrespirator, breathing apparatus

Synonyms

  • 皿— vessel, utensil
  • 具— tool, implement
  • 械— tool, weapon

Antonyms

  • 材— material, substance (as opposed to finished implement)
  • 料— material, stuff (raw rather than formed)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is a porcelain vessel (瓷器).
  • He plays a musical instrument (乐器).
  • The respiratory organs (呼吸器官) are vital.
  • She has great capacity for learning (器量).

Collocations

  • vessel, container(器皿)
  • machine, apparatus(机器)
  • weapon, arms(武器)
  • electrical appliance(电器)
  • instrument, tool(器具)
  • respirator, breathing apparatus(呼吸器)

Idioms

  • Great talent takes time to mature(大器晚成)
  • Regard with great esteem(器重)
  • Borrow a coffin to weep, express misplaced grief(借器哭丧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, ritual bronze vessels (礼器) were symbols of power and status, used in ceremonies to communicate with ancestors.
  • The concept of 'vessel' extends metaphorically to human capacity and talent, as in 大器晚成 (great talent matures slowly).
  • The character's structure with four mouths (口) around a central element suggests something that contains or receives from all sides.

FAQ