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咫

zhǐ
measure word

Meanings

  1. 1 zhi, a Zhou dynasty unit of length (about 8 inches)

Examples

HSK 7-9
虽然近在咫尺，却恍如远隔天涯。
Suīrán jìn zài zhǐchǐ, què huǎngrú yuǎn gé tiānyá.
Although they sat close by, it felt as if a vast distance separated them.
HSK 7-9
山顶近在咫尺，触手可及。
Shāndǐng jìnzàizhǐchǐ, chùshǒukějí.
The summit was within reach, just a short distance away.

Tips

usage
咫 survives only in 咫尺 (literally 'a zhi and a chi'), an idiom for a very short distance - as in 近在咫尺 ('within easy reach').

Components

semantic
尺 chǐ
a foot (length unit)
尺 means 'a foot' (a unit of length) and wraps around the lower part. It marks this character as a measure of length and pairs naturally with 尺 in the word 咫尺.
phonetic
只 zhǐ
phonetic
只 sits enclosed by 尺 and supplies the sound zhǐ directly. It contributes pronunciation only and no meaning here.

Filed under radical 口 (kǒu, #30) by convention. 口 is not a separate component in 咫, so no strokes are highlighted.

Stroke Order

咫 zhǐ