支 (zhī): to support; to prop up

Meanings

1 to support; to prop up
2 branch; offshoot
3 measure word for pens, songs, teams, etc.

Characters

支

zhī

to support; branch; measure word

Originally depicted a hand holding a bamboo branch — hence both "branch" and "to support."

Examples

给我一支笔。

Gěi wǒ yī zhī bǐ.

Give me a pen.

一支足球队有十一个人。

Yī zhī zúqiú duì yǒu shíyī gè rén.

A soccer team has eleven people.

他唱了一支歌。

Tā chàng le yī zhī gē.

He sang a song.

Tips

usage

As a measure word, 支 is used for: pens/pencils (一支笔), teams/armies (一支队伍), songs (一支歌), cigarettes (一支烟), and long thin objects.

Components

pictograph

支 zhī

support; branch

Functions as Kangxi radical #65. The ancient form pictured a hand 又 holding a half-stalk of bamboo — a hand grasping a broken-off branch. Two parallel meanings flow from this image: 'branch' (the thing held) and 'to support, prop up' (the act of holding it). All later senses fan out from this single core.