既 jì already
already; since; both
How it came to be
A kneeling figure at a heaped food dish, with the head turned away from it. The meal is over. The opposite character is the same person with the head turned towards the food.
How it is used
- 'Since / given that' and 'both,' formal - 既然 (jìrán) since (it is so), often paired with 就: 既然来了，就多待会儿 (jìrán lái le, jiù duō dāi huìr) since you're here, stay a while.
- 既…又… (jì…yòu…) 'both…and…': 既便宜又好 both cheap and good.
- Don't confuse with 即 (jí, namely/immediately) - different character and meaning.
Characters built with 既
Words with 既
Example sentences
- 既然天晴了，我们把衣服晾了吧。 Jìrán tiānqíng le, wǒmen bǎ yīfu liàng le ba.Since the weather became sunny, let's hang our clothes.