How to Write 忌 (jì) — Meaning “to avoid; to be jealous of; taboo”

Imagine someone saying "Ji (忌), don't eat that!" — the top part 己 looks like a bent figure covering their mouth, and the bottom 心 shows the heart's concern. So you remember that 忌 means to avoid something out of emotional caution or jealousy.

Write the top component 己 first — note it has three strokes: a horizontal fold, then a horizontal stroke, and a vertical hook. The bottom 心 (heart radical) must be written with three dots and a curved stroke; be careful not to connect the top of 己 to the heart radical too tightly.

忌 (jì) means avoidance or jealousy, while 必 (bì) means "must" or "certainly" and has a different structure (心 with a slash). 忍 (rěn) means "to endure" and contains a blade (刃) above the heart, whereas 忌 has 己 (self) above the heart — focusing on inner restraint versus forbearance.

忌 is commonly used in words like 忌口 (dietary restrictions) and 禁忌 (taboo). Culturally, it appears in traditional customs, such as avoiding certain foods during medical treatment or avoiding unlucky actions during festivals — reflecting Chinese emphasis on harmony and caution.

Common words containing 忌 include: 忌口 (jì kǒu) — to avoid certain foods; 忌妒 (jì dù) — jealous; envious; 禁忌 (jìn jì) — Taboo..