How to Write 齑 (jī) — Meaning “fine powder”

Imagine grinding a neat pile of 齐 materials into powder until they become wrong 非 (unrecognizable). Or think of the pronunciation "jī" like the sound of a gear grinding things into fine dust.

Write the top part 齐 first with careful strokes: dot, left-falling, horizontal, then two verticals and a final left-falling. The bottom part 非 has two symmetrical vertical lines; avoid confusing it with 韭, which has an extra horizontal stroke. Keep the character balanced, with the top slightly narrower than the bottom.

齑粉 (jī fěn) means powder or smithereens, often used figuratively, like in 化为齑粉 (reduced to powder). 齑面 (jī miàn) refers to finely ground flour, and 姜齑 (jiāng jī) means minced ginger, used in cooking. These expressions appear in literature, formal writing, or culinary descriptions, not in everyday conversation.

齑 is a literary character, rarely used in daily speech except in fixed phrases or cooking terms. It appears in idioms like 化为齑粉 to describe total destruction, or in traditional recipes mentioning 姜齑. Culturally, it evokes classical imagery of grinding and fineness, so learners may encounter it in historical texts or poetry.

Common words containing 齑 include: 齑粉 (jī fěn) — powder; smithereens; 齑面 (jī miàn) — finely ground flour; 姜齑 (jiāng jī) — Minced ginger.