希

See also: 稀

希 U+5E0C, 希 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5E0C ← 帋 [U+5E0B] CJK Unified Ideographs 帍 → [U+5E0D]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

希 (Kangxi radical 50, 巾+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 大大中月 (KKLB), four-corner 4022₇, composition ⿱㐅布)

Derived characters

• 桸, 唏, 浠, 稀, 晞, 烯, 郗, 欷, 豨, 瓻, 鵗

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 329, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8813
• Dae Jaweon: page 634, character 29
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 731, character 19
• Unihan data for U+5E0C

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 希
Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (希) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
桸	*hral, *hlɯl
郗	*l̥ʰɯl
絺	*l̥ʰɯl
脪	*l̥ʰɯl, *hrɯnʔ, *hlɯns
瓻	*l̥ʰɯl
希	*hlɯl
晞	*hlɯl
莃	*hlɯl
鵗	*hlɯl
稀	*hlɯl
睎	*hlɯl
豨	*hlɯl, *hlɯlʔ
悕	*hlɯl
俙	*hlɯl, *hlɯlʔ
欷	*hlɯl, *hlɯls
浠	*hlɯl
唏	*hlɯlʔ, *hlɯls

Originally 𢁫, ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 爻 + 巾 (“cloth”).

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		希
alternative forms		𢁫 㠻 𠬹 𢂞 𭤔 𢁫 㠻 𠬹 𢂞 𭤔 𫯜

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): xī (xi¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xi¹

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): xǐ

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): xì

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hei¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): hî

  (Meixian, Guangdong): hi¹

• Eastern Min (BUC): hĭ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hi¹

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹shi

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xī
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: si
    • Wade–Giles: hsi¹
    • Yale: syī
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shi
    • Palladius: си (si)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: xi¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: xǐ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi²¹/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: xì
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): xi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi³¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: hei¹
    • Yale: hēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: héi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hei̯⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hî
    • Hakka Romanization System: hi^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /hi²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: hi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /hi⁴⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: hĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hi
    • Tâi-lô: hi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hi⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hi³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hi⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /hi⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hi⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hi¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹shi
    • MiniDict: shi^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹xi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /ɕi⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /ɕi³³⁴/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 希
Mandarin	Beijing	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/ɕi²¹/
	Jinan	/ɕi²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ɕi²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/ɕi²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ɕi²¹/
	Xining	/ɕji⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/ɕi³¹/
	Ürümqi	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ɕi⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ɕi³¹/
	Hefei	/sz̩²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/ɕi¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ɕi¹³/
	Hohhot	/ɕi³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ɕi⁵³/
	Suzhou	/ɕi⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ɕi³³/
	Wenzhou	/sz̩³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕi³¹/
	Tunxi	/ɕi¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ɕi³³/
	Xiangtan	/ɕi³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ɕi⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/hi⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/hi²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/hei⁵³/
	Nanning	/hi⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/hei⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/hi⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/hi⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/xi⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/hi³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/hi²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: xj+j

Rime
Character	希
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	微 (20)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	香衣切
Baxter	xj+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/hɨi/
Pan Wuyun	/hɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/xiəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/hɨj/
Li Rong	/xiəi/
Wang Li	/xĭəi/
Bernard Karlgren	/xe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hei1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*qʰəj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*hlɯl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	希
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xī
Middle Chinese	‹ xjɨj ›
Old Chinese	/*qʰəj/
English	thin, sparse
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	希
Reading #	1/1
No.	13250
Phonetic component	希
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	希
Old Chinese	/*hlɯl/

Definitions

希

1. ^† Original form of 稀 (xī, “rare; sparse”).
2. to hope; to expect; to strive for
3. to admire; to look up to
4. Synonym of 絺／𫄨

Compounds

• 一線希望／一线希望
• 三希堂
• 不希罕
• 伯希和
• 先意希旨
• 克希荷夫
• 大音希聲／大音希声 (dàyīnxīshēng)
• 奧特貝希／奥特贝希 (Àotèbèixī)
• 布希 (Bùxī)
• 布希曼
• 希世 (xīshì)
• 希世之寶／希世之宝
• 希世之珍
• 希企
• 希伯來／希伯来 (Xībólái)
• 希伯來人／希伯来人 (xībóláirén)
• 希伯來書／希伯来书 (Xībóláishū)
• 希光
• 希冀 (xījì)
• 希利尼 (Xīlìní)
• 希力奧斯／希力奥斯
• 希區考克／希区考克
• 希古
• 希吾勒 (Xīwúlè)
• 希圖／希图 (xītú)
• 希夷
• 希奇 (xīqí)
• 希奇古怪
• 希少 (xīshǎo)
• 希希罕兒／希希罕儿
• 希微
• 希斯亞德／希斯亚德
• 希有 (xīyǒu)
• 希望 (xīwàng)
• 希望小學／希望小学 (xīwàng xiǎoxué)
• 希望工程
• 希求 (xīqiú)
• 希爛／希烂
• 希爾頓／希尔顿 (Xī'ěrdùn)
• 希特勒 (Xītèlè)
• 希珍
• 希罕
• 希聖／希圣
• 希聲／希声
• 希臘／希腊 (Xīlà)
• 希臘哲學／希腊哲学
• 希臘字母／希腊字母
• 希臘建築／希腊建筑
• 希臘戲劇／希腊戏剧
• 希臘教會／希腊教会
• 希臘正教／希腊正教
• 希臘神話／希腊神话
• 希臘群島／希腊群岛
• 希行
• 希詫／希诧
• 希風／希风
• 幾希／几希
• 庫木巴希／库木巴希 (Kùmùbāxī)
• 抗心希古
• 承風希旨／承风希旨
• 普希金 (Pǔxījīn)
• 望風希指／望风希指
• 波希
• 波希戰爭／波希战争
• 波希米亞／波希米亚 (Bōxīmǐyà)
• 貝希斯敦／贝希斯敦 (Bèixīsīdūn)
• 阿日希 (Ārìxī)

 

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 希 – see 稀 (“rare; uncommon; scarce; sparse; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 稀).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

希

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. beg, request
2. hope
3. rare (also 稀)
4. Greece (short for 希臘 (Girishia))

Readings

• Go-on: け (ke)
• Kan-on: き (ki, Jōyō)
• Kun: まれ (mare, 希)、のぞみ (nozomi)、こいねがう (koinegau, 希う)
• Nanori: の (no)、のぞ (nozo)、のぞみ (nozomi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
希
き Grade: 4
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʲi]

Affix

希(き) • (ki) 

1. to hope

Compounds

• 希(き)求(きゅう) (kikyū)
• 希(き)望(ぼう) (kibō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
希
き Grade: 4
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
稀

希 is a daiyōji replacing 稀.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʲi]
• IPA^(key): [ke̞]

Affix

希(き) or 希(け) • (ki or ke) 

1. rare; scarce
2. sparse; dilute

Compounds

• 希(き)ガス (kigasu)
• 希(き)釈(しゃく) (kishaku)
• 希(き)少(しょう) (kishō)
• 希(き)薄(はく) (kihaku)
• 希(け)有(う) (keu)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
希
まれ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 希 – see the following entry.

【稀まれ】J [adjective] rare

(This term, 希, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

希 • (hui) (hangeul 희)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

希: Hán Nôm readings: hơi, he, hê, hy, hây, hi, thu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.