綺 (qǐ) - Beautiful, elegant, fine & patterned silk

綺Tone 3

qǐ ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

七器

綺 · qǐ

Beautiful, elegant, fine;

patterned silk;

fanciful, ornate.

Beautiful, elegant, finepatterned silkfanciful, ornate.

Usage highlights

Beautiful and ornateSilk and satinFanciful wordsOrnate patternsLuxurious splendorFine silk fabric

Synonyms

  • 麗— beautiful, elegant
  • 美— beautiful, fine
  • 華— magnificent, splendid

Antonyms

  • 樸— simple, plain
  • 素— plain, unadorned

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She wore an elegant silk dress (綺羅).
  • The poem is full of beautiful imagery (綺麗).
  • He told a fanciful story (綺語).
  • The room was decorated with ornate patterns (綺紋).

Collocations

  • Beautiful and ornate(綺麗)
  • Silk and satin(綺羅)
  • Fanciful words(綺語)
  • Ornate patterns(綺紋)
  • Luxurious splendor(綺靡)
  • Fine silk fabric(綺縠)

Idioms

  • Extravagant and wasteful(綺紈之歲)
  • Beautiful and ornate(綺襦紈絝)
  • Luxurious and splendid(雕欄玉砌, 錦衣綺食)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to patterned silk fabric in ancient China, associated with luxury and refinement.
  • In literature, often used to describe beautiful, ornate, or fanciful expressions and imagery.
  • The character embodies classical Chinese aesthetics of elegance and sophistication.

FAQ