The character 基 — “base”: how to write it and what it means
base, foundation
The Chinese character 基 is read jī and means “base, foundation”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 基
基 has 11 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 基, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 基 is made of
At the bottom, 土 “earth”; on top, 其 qí hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 基
- 基础foundation, basisHSK 4
- 基本basic, fundamentalHSK 4
- 基本上basically, on the wholeHSK 4
- 基金fund (money)HSK 6
- 基因geneHSK 6
- 基地base (stronghold)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 基?
基 has 11 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 基 mean?
基 means “base, foundation”. It appears in 基础 (“foundation”), 基本 (“basic”), 基本上 (“basically”), 基金 (“fund”).
How do you pronounce 基?
基 is read jī. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 基 have?
11 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 基 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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