濟 (jì) - To cross a river & to aid, to relieve

濟Tone 4

jì ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

濟 · jì

To cross a river;

to aid, to relieve;

to be of use;

to succeed;

also refers to the Ji River and Jining city.

To cross a riverto aid, to relieveto be of use

Usage highlights

EconomyRelief, aidBenefit, advantageTo be of helpTo cross a riverTo aid the poor

Synonyms

  • 助— to help, to assist
  • 帮— to help, to aid
  • 救— to rescue, to save

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The government provided economic relief (经济救济).
  • They crossed the river safely (济河).
  • This medicine is very effective (这药很济事).
  • Jining City in Shandong (济宁).

Collocations

  • Economy(经济)
  • Relief, aid(救济)
  • Benefit, advantage(利益)
  • To be of help(济事)
  • To cross a river(济河)
  • To aid the poor(济贫)

Idioms

  • To relieve the distressed and aid the poor(济困扶危)
  • To have both talent and virtue(才德兼备 / 才德兼济)
  • To cross the river by feeling the stones(摸着石头过河, idiomatically related to the 'crossing' sense)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted crossing a river, later extended metaphorically to helping people 'cross' difficulties.
  • Strongly associated with Confucian and Buddhist ideals of compassion and aiding others.
  • The character appears in many place names, most notably Jining (济宁) in Shandong province.

FAQ