际

際
jì
noun #9,430

Meanings

  1. 1 border; edge; boundary
  2. 2 between; among; inter-
  3. 3 occasion; time

Examples

HSK 4
Shíjìshang méi nàme nán.
Actually, it's not that hard.
HSK 6
Yíwàng-wújì de cǎoyuán.
Boundless grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see.
HSK 7-9
Guójì hángbān zài jǐ hào hángzhànlóu?
Which terminal is the international flight at?

Tips

usage
际 is used in: 国际 (international), 实际 (actual/practical), 际遇 (fortune/opportunity), 交际 (socialize). The prefix 国际- (international) is very common: 国际机场, 国际学校.

Components

radical
阝 fù
mound (left-side form of 阜)
Left mound radical - the side-form of 阜, picturing a stepped earthen wall or hillside. Distinct from the right-side 阝 which represents 邑 city. Anchors 际 in the boundary family with 阵 ranks, 阶 step, 限 limit, 险 steep - all senses involving raised ground that marks where one space ends and another begins.
phonetic
示 shì
show; altar
Right 示 - the simplified form's phonetic, replacing the heavier 祭 (sacrifice) of traditional 際. Supplies the sound shì → jì via initial shift. 示 itself depicts an altar; here it carries no altar meaning, just a compact phonetic substitute. The traditional 際 kept older 'border between living and dead' imagery from 祭.

Stroke Order

际 jì