济 (jì) - To cross a river & to aid

济Tone 4

jì ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

慧佳

济 · jì

To cross a river;

to aid;

to relieve;

to be of help;

to accomplish;

to succeed;

also used in names of places like Jinan (济南).

To cross a riverto aidto relieve

Usage highlights

EconomyReliefMutual aidBenefit the peopleAccomplish a taskJinan city

Synonyms

  • 助— to help, to assist
  • 帮— to help, to aid
  • 援— to assist, to support

Antonyms

  • 害— to harm, to damage
  • 阻— to hinder, to obstruct

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The government provides economic relief (经济救济).
  • We need to help each other (互相帮助).
  • He successfully completed the task (成功完成任务).
  • Jinan is the capital of Shandong Province (济南是山东省省会).

Collocations

  • Economy(经济)
  • Relief(救济)
  • Mutual aid(互助)
  • Benefit the people(济民)
  • Accomplish a task(济事)
  • Jinan city(济南)

Idioms

  • Crossing the river by feeling the stones(摸着石头过河)
  • Relieving the distressed and aiding the needy(济困扶危)
  • Combining breadth with depth(博济精深)
  • All rivers flow into the sea(百川汇济)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted crossing a river, later extended to mean helping others overcome difficulties.
  • In Buddhism, 济 refers to helping all living beings, as in the Bodhisattva Guanyin (观音济世).
  • The character appears in many place names, most notably Jinan (济南), meaning 'south of the Ji River'.

FAQ