一 yī one
one; whole; as soon as
How it came to be
One tally stroke. Two strokes make two and three make three, and then counting by strokes stops.
How it is used
- One, but its tone shifts: yī alone or counting, yì before 1st/2nd/3rd tones, yí before a 4th tone - 一起 (yìqǐ) together, 一样 (yíyàng) the same.
- Often means a whole or as soon as rather than the number - 一天 (yì tiān) a day, 一…就… (yī…jiù… as soon as…).
Characters built with 一
- 下 down
- 后 back
- 天 day
- 本 source
- 开 open
- 关 to close
- 正 upright
- 再 again
- 院 institute
- 元 yuan
- 百 hundred
- 兴 excited
- 玩 play
- 体 body
- 完 finish
- 远 far
- 送 deliver
- 画 drawing
- 妻 wife
- 于 at
- 或 or
- 卫 to guard
- 园 garden
- 瓶 bottle
- 无 have not
- 并 to combine
- 联 connect
- 证 prove
- 整 entire
- 研 research
- 举 lift
- 微 small
- 丽 beautiful
- 笨 stupid
- 饼 ricecake
- 冠 cap
- 域 area
- 屏 screen
- 形 form
- 拼 to link
Words with 一
- 一下yīxiàa little bit/whileHSK 1
- 一点儿yīdiǎnera littleHSK 1
- 一些yìxiēsomeHSK 1
- 一半yíbànhalfHSK 1
- 一起yīqǐtogetherHSK 2
- 一会儿yíhuìra whileHSK 2
- 一样yīyàngthe sameHSK 3
- 一直yīzhíalwaysHSK 3
- 一定yīdìngsurelyHSK 3
- 一边yībiānone sideHSK 3
- 一般yībāngeneralHSK 3
- 一共yīgòngaltogetherHSK 3
- 一块儿yíkuàirtogether; in the same place (spoken, erhua)HSK 3
- 一切yīqièallHSK 4
- 一生yìshēngall one's lifeHSK 4
- 一代yídàigenerationHSK 5
- 一旦yídànin case (something happens)HSK 5
- 一次性yícìxìngone-off (offer)HSK 5
- 一致yízhìconsistentHSK 5
- 一路yílùthe whole journeyHSK 5
- 一路顺风yílù-shùnfēngto have a pleasant journey (idiom)HSK 5
- 万一wànyījust in caseHSK 5
- 单一dānyīsingleHSK 5
- 同一tóngyīidenticalHSK 5
- 唯一wéiyīonlyHSK 5
- 统一tǒngyīto unifyHSK 5
- 进一步jìnyíbùto go a step furtherHSK 5
- 一一yīyīone by oneHSK 6
- 一再yízàirepeatedlyHSK 6
- 一口气yìkǒuqìone breathHSK 6
- 一同yìtóngtogetherHSK 6
- 一向yíxiànga period of time in the recent pastHSK 6
- 一帆风顺yìfān-fēngshùnpropitious wind throughout the journeyHSK 6
- 一带yídàiregionHSK 6
- 一律yílǜsameHSK 6
- 一时yìshía period of timeHSK 6
- 一模一样yìmú-yíyàngexactly alikeHSK 6
- 一流yīliútop qualityHSK 6
- 一系列yíxìlièa series ofHSK 6
- 一贯yíguànconsistentHSK 6
Example sentences
- 我有一本书。 Wǒ yǒu yì běn shū.I have a book.
- 我是第一名。 Wǒ shì dì-yī míng.I've achieved first place.
- 一小时后见。 Yì xiǎoshí hòu jiàn.We'll meet in an hour.
- 我有一只小狗。 Wǒ yǒu yī zhī xiǎogǒu.I've got a little dog.