祭 (jì) - To offer sacrifices & to worship

祭Tone 4

jì ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

祭 · jì

To offer sacrifices;

to worship;

to hold a memorial ceremony;

to use;

to employ;

also refers to the ancient state of Zhai.

To offer sacrificesto worshipto hold a memorial ceremony

Usage highlights

Sacrificial ritesWorship ancestorsMemorial ceremonyOffer sacrifices to heavenSacrificial altarSacrificial vessel

Synonyms

  • 祀— To worship; to offer sacrifices
  • 奠— To make offerings; to consecrate

Antonyms

  • 渎— To profane; to blaspheme

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They hold a ceremony to worship ancestors (祭祖).
  • The ritual involves offering sacrifices to heaven (祭天).
  • He laid flowers at the memorial ceremony (祭奠).
  • This character is used in the word for sacrificial rites (祭祀).

Collocations

  • Sacrificial rites(祭祀)
  • Worship ancestors(祭祖)
  • Memorial ceremony(祭奠)
  • Offer sacrifices to heaven(祭天)
  • Sacrificial altar(祭坛)
  • Sacrificial vessel(祭器)

Idioms

  • To kill a chicken to scare the monkeys(杀鸡祭猴)
  • To worship heaven and earth(祭天祀地)
  • To perform the suburban sacrifice(郊祭)
  • To offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple(庙祭)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a hand holding a piece of meat over a sacrificial altar, representing the act of offering sacrifices.
  • In ancient China, sacrificial ceremonies were crucial state rituals conducted by rulers to communicate with heaven and ancestors.
  • The character appears in many historical texts recording important state ceremonies and ancestral worship practices.

FAQ