契 (qì) - To carve & contract

契Tone 4

qì ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 大

七器

契 · qì

To carve;

contract;

deed;

agreement;

to be in harmony with;

also refers to ancient writing on bamboo slips.

To carvecontractdeed

Usage highlights

ContractAgreementTo carve charactersTo be in harmony withClose friendCovenant

Synonyms

  • 约— agreement, contract
  • 合— to fit, to match
  • 刻— to carve, to engrave

Antonyms

  • 违— to violate, to disobey
  • 背— to betray, to break

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They signed a contract (契约).
  • Ancient oracle bones had carved characters (契刻).
  • The couple had a deep emotional bond (契阔).
  • This matches my expectations (契合).

Collocations

  • Contract(契约)
  • Agreement(契据)
  • To carve characters(契刻)
  • To be in harmony with(契合)
  • Close friend(契友)
  • Covenant(契契)

Idioms

  • To die without regret(死生契阔)
  • Perfect understanding without words(默契无言)
  • Carve a boat to seek a sword(契舟求剑)
  • Golden Orchid Agreement(金兰契)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to carving marks on bamboo slips for recording agreements, evolving to mean contracts and deeds.
  • In ancient China, '契' represented both written contracts and deep emotional bonds between people.
  • The character appears in classical texts like the Book of Songs, describing deep friendships and marital bonds.

FAQ