妓 (jì) · prostitute, courtesan

Meanings

1 prostitute
2 courtesan

Characters

妓

jì

prostitute; courtesan

Examples

HSK 4

这部电影讲的是一个妓女的故事。

Zhè bù diànyǐng jiǎng de shì yī gè jìnǚ de gùshi.

This movie tells the story of a prostitute.

HSK 5

古代的妓女不一定地位很低。

Gǔdài de jìnǚ bùyīdìng dìwèi hěn dī.

Courtesans in ancient times didn't necessarily have low status.

Tips

history

In ancient China, 妓 could refer to female entertainers skilled in music, poetry, and dance - not just sex workers. The compound 歌妓 specifically meant 'singing courtesan.'

Components

radical

女 nǚ

woman

Woman radical on the left - also 妓's indexing radical (Kangxi #38). The character originally meant a female entertainer skilled in music and dance, later narrowing to 'courtesan, prostitute.' Same radical in a wide family of female-keyed words: 妈, 姐, 妹, 妻, 婚, 娘.

phonetic

支 zhī

branch; support

Right side 支 supplies the sound: zhī to jì with significant Old Chinese drift in both initial and tone. The same phonetic appears in 技 (skill), 歧, 枝, 肢 - the 支 cluster spans zh-/j-/q- readings. A faint semantic link to 技 (skill) survives - entertainers were skilled performers.