How to Write 洎 (jì) — Meaning “Until; to reach.”

Imagine a river of water (氵) flowing until it reaches your own self (自). The idea of water stopping at "self" helps you recall that 洎 means "until" or "to reach."

Write the left radical 氵 first with three dots (dot, dot, lift), then the right side 自: start with the left vertical, then a horizontal left-falling stroke, then three horizontal strokes, and finally a vertical hook. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider so the character is balanced.

洎 (jì) has 自 on the right and means "until," while 㳄 (xián) contains 欠 and is an ancient character for saliva or flowing water, rarely used today. 汧 (qiān) has 开 (kāi) on the right and refers specifically to the Qi River in ancient China.

洎 is not part of the HSK vocabulary and appears mostly in classical or formal writing. It is used in phrases like 洎今 (jì jīn, "until now") and 洎灌 (jì guàn, "to irrigate"), so you will mainly encounter it in historical texts or technical terms about water flow.

Common words containing 洎 include: 洎今 (jì jīn) — Until now; up to the present.; 洎灌 (jì guàn) — To irrigate.; 洎水 (jì shuǐ) — Ji River..