How to Write 妓 (jì) — Meaning “Prostitute”

Picture a woman (女) leaning against a tree branch (支) under the moonlight, suggesting a scene that reminds you of the character's meaning. This visual of a woman and a branch together helps you recall the two components and their order.

Be careful to write the 女 radical slender and narrow, with the third stroke (a long downward slash) crossing the two diagonal strokes. The right part 支 has a short horizontal stroke on top, then a small vertical hook (乛) before the last two strokes: a horizontal and a final stroke (捺). A common mistake is making the left 女 too wide, which throws off the balance.

Although all three share the 女 radical, 妓 uses 支 on the right, while 奴 has 又 (hand) meaning slave labor, and 奶 has 乃 (nǎi) meaning milk/breast. Visually, 妓 has a squared right part; 奴 ends with a curved stroke; 奶 has a slanted stroke on top. Their meanings are unrelated except for the shared female radical.

Today 妓 is mostly used in fixed words like 妓女 (prostitute), 歌妓 (historical singing girl), or 艺妓 (geisha). It carries a strong negative or taboo connotation in daily speech, so it is best avoided in casual conversation. Use it only when discussing historical contexts, legal terms, or specific cultural practices like Japanese geisha (艺妓).

Common words containing 妓 include: 妓女 (jì nǚ) — Prostitute; 歌妓 (gē jì) — Singing girl (historical courtesan); 艺妓 (yì jì) — geisha.