祇 (qí) - Earth god & deity

祇Tone 2

qí ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 礻

七器

祇 · qí

Earth god;

deity;

spirit;

ancient term for 'only' (when pronounced zhǐ)

Earth goddeityspirit

Usage highlights

Earth godDeity worshipOnly thisLocal deityMountain deityRiver deity

Synonyms

  • 神— god; deity (heavenly)
  • 只— only; merely
  • 地神— earth god

Antonyms

  • 人— human (as opposed to deity)
  • 鬼— ghost (malevolent spirit)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The earth god shrine (土地祇) is common in folk religion.
  • This is only (祇) a small part of the collection.
  • They worshiped the local deity (地方祇).
  • The ancient text uses 祇 to mean 'only' (祇是).

Collocations

  • Earth god(地祇)
  • Deity worship(神祇 worship)
  • Only this(祇此)
  • Local deity(方祇)
  • Mountain deity(山祇)
  • River deity(川祇)

Idioms

  • The gods are watching(神祇鉴察)
  • Only this one family(祇此一家)
  • Worship heaven and earth deities(敬奉天地神祇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese folk religion, 祇 refers to earth deities and local spirits, distinct from heavenly gods (神).
  • Historically used in classical texts as a variant of 只 meaning 'only', though this usage is now rare in modern Chinese.
  • Represents the animistic belief in spirits inhabiting natural features like mountains, rivers, and land.

FAQ