How to Write 旗 (qí) — Meaning “Flag or banner.”

Imagine a square flag (方) with a pattern on it: the right part 其 looks like a flagpole with a decorative top and two hanging tassels. Think of a "square (方) flag (其)" where 其 is the pole with details, helping you recall both the shape and the sound.

The radical 方 has a special stroke order: dot, horizontal, left-falling, horizontal hook (like writing 方 alone). Then the right side 其 must be written with a horizontal stroke, then the two verticals, and finally the two horizontal drops at the bottom. A common mistake is making the bottom of 其 too wide or forgetting the small left-falling stroke after the first horizontal on top.

旗 means a general flag or banner, while 旒 (liú) specifically refers to the dangling tassels on an ancient flag or crown. 旖 (yǐ) is rarely used alone but appears in 旖旎 (yǐ nǐ) meaning charming or gentle, and it also relates to flags fluttering in the wind. Visually, 旗 uses 其 as phonetic, while 旒 and 旖 use different right-side components (流 and 奇, respectively).

旗 is common in words like 国旗 (national flag) and 旗子 (general flag). It also appears in 旗袍 (qipao), a traditional Chinese dress originally worn by Manchu people of the Eight Banners (旗人). Culturally, 旗 can evoke patriotism (e.g., 五星红旗, the five-starred red flag) or historical military banners.

Common words containing 旗 include: 国旗 (guó qí) — National flag; 旗子 (qí zi) — Flag.; 旗袍 (qí páo) — Qipao or cheongsam (a traditional Chinese dress)..