How to Write 箕 (jī) — Meaning “winnowing basket / dustpan”

Picture a bamboo dustpan (竹) whose open end has a pattern of lines—like the grid in 其. You can also think 'Ji the dustpan' where 'ji' sounds like 'jeep' and you sweep dirt into a 箕-shaped jeep.

The top radical 竹 is written as two short 'k' shapes: first left, then right. The bottom part 其 has balanced horizontal strokes; a common mistake is making the top 竹 too large or squeezing the 其. Keep the overall shape square and even.

箕 (dustpan) has 其 at the bottom, while 筀 (rare, ancient bamboo name) has 圭 below, and 筅 (a bamboo whisk) has 先 below. In usage, 箕 appears in common words like 簸箕, whereas 筀 is almost never used and 筅 appears in tea or kitchen tools.

Today 箕 appears mainly in 簸箕 (dustpan) and in the term 箕坐 (sitting with legs spread, like the shape of a dustpan). Culturally, the character relates to ancient grain winnowing tools and appears in idioms like 箕裘 (continuing a father's craft), showing it has historical depth beyond cleaning.

Common words containing 箕 include: 簸箕 (bò jī) — dustpan / winnowing fan; 箕斗 (jī dǒu) — fingerprints (whorls and loops); 箕坐 (jī zuò) — to sit with legs spread out.