# 吉

| 吉 | U+5409, &#21513; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5409 |
| ← 合 [U+5408] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 吊 → [U+540A] |

## Translingual
### Han character

吉 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 土口 (GR), four-corner 4060$_1$, composition ⿱士口)

#### Derived characters

* 佶, 咭, 𡋥, 姞, 㣟, 恄, 拮, 洁, 狤, 桔, 㸵, 祮, 䂒, 硈, 秸, 袺, 結(结), 聐, 蛣, 夡, 詰(诘), 銡(𰽲), 鞊, 鮚(鲒), 黠
* 㐖, 劼, 㓤, 郆, 欯, 翓, 喆, 頡(颉), 鴶(𱉥), 𪜒, 迼, 趌, 䓀, 髻, 𫜖, 㔛, 臺, 嚞, 䦖, 𡕍, 調, 䭇

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 175, character 2
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3289
* Dae Jaweon: page 389, character 2
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 576, character 6
* Unihan data for U+5409

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吉 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 秸 | *kriːl, *kriːd |
| 髻 | *kiːds |
| 夡 | *kʰids |
| 鴶 | *kriːd |
| 袺 | *kriːd, *kiːd |
| 頡 | *kriːd, *ɡiːd |
| 劼 | *kʰriːd |
| 硈 | *kʰriːd |
| 咭 | *kʰriːd, *ɡlid, *qʰlid |
| 黠 | *ɡriːd |
| 聐 | *ŋreːd |
| 趌 | *ked, *klid, *kʰid, *ɡrid |
| 結 | *kiːd |
| 拮 | *kiːd, *klid |
| 桔 | *kiːd |
| 狤 | *kiːd, *klid, *ɡrid |
| 擷 | *qʰiːd, *ɡiːd |
| 襭 | *ɡiːd |
| 翓 | *ɡiːd |
| 纈 | *ɡiːd |
| 吉 | *klid |
| 郆 | *kid |
| 詰 | *kʰid |
| 蛣 | *kʰid |
| 佶 | *ɡlid, *ɡrid |
| 鮚 | *ɡrid |
| 姞 | *ɡrid |
| 欯 | *qʰlid |
| 恄 | *qʰlid |
Ideogram (指事) derived from a ritual axe 士 and an open mouth 口, perhaps with a reference to rituals to obtain the gratitude of the ancestors and deities.

### Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-kjit (“happy; pleased”) (STEDT). Also compare Tibetan སྐྱིད་པ (skyid pa, “to be happy”) and Burmese ချစ် (hkyac, “to love, to be pleased”) (Schuessler, 2007, Hill, 2019).
Cantonese sense of “empty” arises from avoidance of 空 (hung$^1$), which is homophonous to 凶 (hung$^1$, “inauspicious”).
The Taiwanese Chinese sense of “to sue” arises from avoidance of 告 (gào, “to sue”), which is a typo form of it.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): jí (ji$^2$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ji$^2$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gat$^1$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): git$^2$
* Gan (Wiktionary): jit$^6$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): kit
    (Hailu, HRS): gid
    (Meixian, Guangdong): gid$^5$
* Jin (Wiktionary): jieh$^4$
* Northern Min (KCR): gĭ
* Eastern Min (BUC): gék
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): geh$^6$ / gih$^6$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): kiat / kit
    (Teochew, Peng'im): gig$^4$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^7$ciq
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ji$^6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: jí
*** Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: jí
*** Wade–Giles: chi$^2$
*** Yale: jí
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyi
*** Palladius: цзи (czi)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕi³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: ji$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gi
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕi²¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: gat$^1$
*** Yale: gāt
*** Cantonese Pinyin: gat$^7$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ged$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɐt̚⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: git$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /kit̚⁵⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: jit$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕit̚⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kit
*** Hakka Romanization System: gid$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: gid$^5$
*** Sinological IPA: /kit̚²/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: gid
*** Sinological IPA: /kit⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: gid$^5$
*** Sinological IPA: /kit̚¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: jieh$^4$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiəʔ²/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gĭ
*** Sinological IPA : /ki²⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: gék
*** Sinological IPA : /kɛiʔ²⁴/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: geh$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɛʔ¹/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: geh$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɛʔ²/
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: gih$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /kiʔ¹/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: gih$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /kiʔ²/
* geh6 - vernacular;
* gih6 - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit吉 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /t͡ɕi³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /t͡ɕi⁴⁴/ /t͡ɕi²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /t͡ɕi⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /t͡ɕi²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /t͡ɕi⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /t͡ɕi²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /t͡ɕi²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /t͡ɕji⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /t͡ɕi⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /t͡ɕi¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /t͡ɕi²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /t͡ɕi²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /t͡ɕie³¹/ /t͡ɕi³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /t͡ɕi²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /t͡ɕi³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /t͡ɕiʔ⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /t͡ɕiəʔ²/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /t͡ɕiʌʔ¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /t͡ɕiəʔ⁴³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /t͡ɕiɪʔ⁵/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /t͡ɕiəʔ⁵/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /t͡ɕai²¹³/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /t͡ɕiʔ²¹/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /t͡ɕi⁵/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /t͡ɕi²⁴/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /t͡ɕi²⁴/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /t͡ɕiʔ⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /kit̚¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /kit̚²²/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /kɐt̚⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /kɐt̚⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /kɐt̚⁵/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /kit̚³²/ /kiat̚³²/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /kɛiʔ²³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /ki²⁴/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /kik̚²/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /kit̚⁵/ |
* Middle Chinese: kjit
Rime :
| Character | 吉 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 見 (28) |
| Final (韻) | 質 (48) |
| Tone (調) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 居質切 |
| Baxter | kjit |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /kiɪt̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /kit̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /kjet̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /kit̚/ |
| Li Rong | /kiĕt̚/ |
| Wang Li | /kĭĕt̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ki̯ĕt̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | ji |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | gat$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qi[t]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*klid/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 吉 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | jí |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ kjit › |
| Old Chinese | /*C.qi[t]/ (*C.q- > *k-, escaping palatalization) |
| English | auspicious |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 吉 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 5692 |
| Phonetic component | 吉 |
| Rime group | 質 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 吉 |
| Old Chinese | /*klid/ |
| Notes | 甲文象供品在口表神佑吉利 |

### Definitions

吉
* auspicious; lucky
    Antonym: 凶 (xiōng)
    吉利 ― jílì ― auspicious; lucky
* good
* (Cantonese, euphemistic) empty
       waang$^4$ dim$^6$ jau$^5$ gaan$^1$ fong$^{4-2}$ gat$^1$ zo$^2$ hai$^2$ dou$^6$, bat$^1$ jyu$^4$ zou$^1$ bei$^2$ jan$^4$ zyu$^6$ aa$^1$. [Jyutping]
       Since there's an empty room, why don't we rent it out?
    交吉卷 [Cantonese] ― gaau$^1$ gat$^1$ gyun$^2$ [Jyutping] ― Hand out an unanswered (empty) exam paper
    吉屋 [Cantonese] ― gat$^1$ uk$^1$ [Jyutping] ― unoccupied house
    吉舖／吉铺 [Cantonese] ― gat$^1$ pou$^3$ [Jyutping] ― vacant shop
       ceng$^2$ man$^6$ ne$^1$ go$^3$ wai$^6$ hai$^6$ mai$^6$ gat$^1$ gaa$^3$? [Jyutping]
       Is anyone sitting here?
* (Cantonese, euphemistic) emptiness; nothingness
       lou$^4$ luk$^1$ jat$^1$ sang$^1$ dak$^1$ go$^3$ gat$^1$ [Jyutping]
       A lifetime of labor amounts to nothing
* (Taiwan, Internet slang) to accuse; to sue; to file a lawsuit; to press charges
    這我一定吉／这我一定吉 ― zhè wǒ yīdìng jí ― I will definitely sue for this
    From: 臺灣臺北地方法院 108 年訴字第 5610 號民事判決
    zàishuō rènzhèng shì jiǎ de jiù jí nǐ [Pinyin]
    I will sue you if you said the certification is fake again.
    From: 臺灣花蓮地方法院 108 年花秩字第 29 號刑事裁定
    zuótiān zàoyáo Wúzōngxiàn shì Chénjú rénmǎ de yào bèi jí le [Pinyin]
    The one who rumoured that Jacky Wu is Chen Chu's staff is now sued.
* Used in transcription.
    吉林 ― Jílín ― Jilin (from Manchu gilin)
    吉爾吉斯／吉尔吉斯 ― Jí'ěrjísī ― Kyrgyzstan
    吉布地 ― Jíbùdì ― Djibouti
    吉隆坡 ― Jílóngpō ― Kuala Lumpur
    吉爾福德／吉尔福德 ― Jí'ěrfúdé ― Guildford
    姆布吉馬伊／姆布吉马伊 ― Mǔbùjí Mǎyī ― Mbuji-Mayi
** Short for 吉林 (Jílín, “Jilin Province”).
* a surname
* (～縣) Ji County (a county of Linfen, Shanxi, China)

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 空 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 空 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 空 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 空 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 空 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 空 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 空 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 空 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 空 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 空, 吉 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 空, 吉 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 空 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 空 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 空 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 空 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 空 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 空 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 空 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 空 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 空 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 空 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 空 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 空 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 空 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 空 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 空 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 空 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 空 |

#### Descendants

* → English: Ji

### Compounds

* 不吉 (bùjí)
* 丙吉問牛 / 丙吉问牛
* 尹吉甫
* 乞拉朋吉
* 交吉
* 凶多吉少 (xiōngduōjíshǎo)
* 初吉
* 努隆吉 (nǔlóngjí)
* 卜吉
* 即吉
* 吉丁
* 吉丁當 / 吉丁当
* 吉丁疙疸
* 吉丟古堆 / 吉丢古堆
* 吉亞 / 吉亚 (Jíyà)
* 吉人
* 吉人天相 (jíréntiānxiàng)
* 吉仁 (Jírén)
* 吉他 (jítā)
* 吉備真備 / 吉备真备
* 吉兆 (jízhào)
* 吉光片羽 (jíguāngpiànyǔ)
* 吉凶 (jíxiōng)
* 吉凶悔吝
* 吉凶慶弔 / 吉凶庆吊
* 吉凶未卜
* 吉利 (jílì)
* 吉利話 / 吉利话
* 吉劇 / 吉剧
* 吉包
* 吉卜賽人 / 吉卜赛人 (jíbǔsàirén)
* 吉卜齡 / 吉卜龄
* 吉占
* 吉吉枓枓
* 吉呷 (Jígā)
* 吉問 / 吉问
* 吉器
* 吉地
* 吉士 (jíshì)
* 吉夕
* 吉娃娃 (jíwáwa)
* 吉安 (Jí'ān)
* 吉屋 (jíwū)
* 吉川英治
* 吉州窯 / 吉州窑
* 吉布地 (Jíbùdì)
* 吉帖
* 吉席
* 吉慶 / 吉庆 (jíqìng)
* 吉慶無虞 / 吉庆无虞
* 吉日 (jírì)
* 吉日良辰
* 吉旦 (jídàn)
* 吉星文
* 吉星高照
* 吉時 / 吉时
* 吉普女郎
* 吉普賽 / 吉普赛 (Jípǔsài)
* 吉普車 / 吉普车 (jípǔchē)
* 吉月
* 吉服
* 吉朋
* 吉期 (jíqī)
* 吉林 (Jílín)
* 吉格代加依 (Jígédàijiāyī)
* 吉水 (Jíshuǐ)
* 吉爾吉斯 / 吉尔吉斯 (Jí'ěrjísī)
* 吉爾庫克 / 吉尔库克
* 吉特巴
* 吉玎玎
* 吉田松陰 / 吉田松阴
* 吉田茂
* 吉祥 (jíxiáng)
* 吉祥如意 (jíxiángrúyì)
* 吉祥止止
* 吉祥物 (jíxiángwù)
* 吉禮 / 吉礼 (jílǐ)
* 吉羊 (jíxiáng)
* 吉蔑 (Jímiè)
* 吉藏
* 吉言 (jíyán)
* 吉貝 / 吉贝 (jíbèi)
* 吉賽爾 / 吉赛尔
* 吉辛
* 吉達 / 吉达 (Jídá)
* 吉里巴斯 (Jílǐbāsī)
* 吉金
* 吉金文
* 吉隆坡 (Jílóngpō)
* 吉魯巴 / 吉鲁巴 (jílǔbā)
* 吉鹽 / 吉盐
* 喬吉 / 乔吉
* 喜鵲叫吉 / 喜鹊叫吉
* 塔吉克 (Tǎjíkè)
* 塔吉克族 (Tǎjíkèzú)
* 多凶少吉
* 夢蘭叶吉 / 梦兰叶吉
* 大吉 (dàjí)
* 天相吉人
* 巴什吉爾 / 巴什吉尔
* 布拉吉 (bùlāji)
* 帕息吉
* 延吉縣 / 延吉县
* 得個吉 / 得个吉
* 從吉 / 从吉
* 成吉思汗 (Chéngjísīhán)
* 擇吉 / 择吉 (zéjí)
* 易元吉
* 春風藹吉 / 春风蔼吉
* 月吉
* 有吉
* 木吉 (Mùjí)
* 東吉 / 东吉 (Dōngjí)
* 柏吉烏斯 / 柏吉乌斯
* 歐吉桑 / 欧吉桑 (ōujísāng)
* 永吉 (Yǒngjí)
* 涓吉
* 混吉
* 潭祉叶吉
* 王吉
* 班迭棉吉 (Bāndié Miánjí)
* 福吉
* 秦吉了 (qínjíliǎo)
* 納吉 / 纳吉 (Nàjí)
* 維吉尼亞 / 维吉尼亚 (Wéijíníyà)
* 羅鉗吉網 / 罗钳吉网
* 良辰吉日 (liángchénjírì)
* 英吉沙 (Yīngjíshā)
* 薩利吉勒干南庫勒 / 萨利吉勒干南库勒 (Sàlìjílègānnánkùlè)
* 襲吉 / 袭吉
* 諏吉 / 诹吉
* 豐臣秀吉 / 丰臣秀吉
* 趨吉避凶 (qūjíbìxiōng)
* 逢凶化吉 (féngxiōnghuàjí)
* 避凶就吉
* 避凶趨吉
* 邱吉爾 / 邱吉尔 (Qiūjí'ěr)
* 鄭吉 / 郑吉
* 電吉他 / 电吉他 (diànjítā)
* 黃道吉日 / 黄道吉日 (huángdàojírì)

### References

* “吉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)

#### Readings

* Go-on: きち (kichi, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: きつ (kitsu, Jōyō)
* Kun: よい (yoi, 吉い)、よし (yoshi, 吉し)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 吉
* きち Grade: S
* on'yomi

#### Alternative forms

* 吉(きつ) (kitsu)

#### Noun

吉(きち) • (kichi)
* good luck

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 吉
* きつ Grade: S
* on'yomi

#### Noun

吉(きつ) • (kitsu)
* Alternative form of 吉 (kichi, “good luck”)

## Korean
### Hanja

吉 (eumhun 길할 길 (gilhal gil))
* hanja form of 길 (“luck”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

吉: Hán Việt readings: cát
吉: Nôm readings: kiết
* chữ Hán form of cát (“auspicious, lucky”).

#### References

* 1 2 Génibrel (1898).
* 1 2 Bonet (1899).
* ↑ Thiều Chửu (1942).
* ↑ Nguyễn (1974).
* ↑ Trần (1999).
* ↑ Nguyễn et al. (2009).