How to Write 极 (jí) — Meaning “extremely; pole”

Picture a tall tree (木) that reaches (及) all the way to the sky – that is an extremely tall tree. The right side 及 looks like a person reaching upward with an arm, and the left side 木 is the tree they are climbing. This mental image helps you remember both the shape and the meaning 'extremely'.

Write the left part 木 first with four strokes: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. Then write the right part 及 in three strokes: left-falling, horizontal left-falling, and finally right-falling. A common mistake is making the 及 component too wide – keep both sides balanced and about the same height.

极 is a two-part character with 木 and 及, while 未 and 末 are single characters with different meanings. 未 (wèi) means 'not yet' and has a short top horizontal and longer bottom stroke; 末 (mò) means 'end/tip' and has a longer top stroke. In contrast, 极 always has the wood radical on the left and never looks like 未 or 末.

极 appears in everyday words like 极了 (jí le) meaning 'extremely' – for example, 好极了 means 'very good'. It is also in 积极 (jī jí) meaning 'positive' or 'active', and 南极 (nán jí) for 'South Pole' (the opposite is 北极, North Pole). You will hear it often in both casual and formal Chinese to indicate a high degree or a geographic pole.

Common words containing 极 include: 极了 (jí le) — extremely; very; 积极 (jī jí) — positive / active; 南极 (nán jí) — South Pole.