How to Write 及 (jí) — Meaning “And; to reach; up to.”

Picture a person (the top part 人) stretching out a hand (the bottom part 又) to grab something just in time. This action of reaching helps you remember both meanings: 'to reach' and 'and' (as in connecting items). The three strokes are like a quick grab.

Write stroke 1: a left-falling stroke (丿) for the person's head. Stroke 2: a horizontal stroke that curves down and left (like a hook) for the arm. Stroke 3: a right-falling stroke (捺) for the hand's fingers. A common mistake is making the second stroke too straight—it should have a clear bend to complete the shape.

Visual difference: 及 has a left-falling stroke (person) on top, while 又 is just the hand radical (two strokes). 叉 has a dot (丶) inside the fork of 又. Meaning-wise, 及 means 'and/reach', 又 means 'again/also', and 叉 means 'fork' or 'cross'. Remember: 及 has an extra stroke above—the person.

及 commonly appears in formal writing as part of 以及 ('as well as') to list items. It also appears in 及时 ('timely') and 来不及 ('not enough time'). A cultural note: the phrase 及时行乐 (jí shí xíng lè) encourages enjoying life while you can, reflecting a common Chinese attitude toward seizing the moment.

Common words containing 及 include: 以及 (yǐ jí) — as well as; and; 及时 (jí shí) — Timely; in time; promptly.; 来不及 (lái bù jí) — not enough time; to be too late.