起 (qǐ) means "to rise, start" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to rise
Other meanings:
- start
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
起 is a phono-semantic compound that does not appear as such in oracle bones but emerges clearly by the seal script period. The semantic element 走 (run, move) on the left indicates motion, and the right side 己 supplies the pronunciation in Old Chinese. Some earlier forms use 巳 instead of 己, but the standardised seal form settled on 己.
Form evolution
Seal script shows 走 on the left drawn in its full running-figure form paired with a rounded 己 on the right. Clerical script squared both components and set the proportions that modern kaishu inherits. The modern 起 preserves the seal structure almost unchanged, with 走 shifted into its left-radical compressed shape.
How the meaning evolved
The root meaning is 'to rise, to get up', naturally derived from the 'motion' sense of 走. From physical rising it extended to 'to begin, to initiate' (起床, 起点), to 'to stand up' in a figurative sense (起立), and to grammatical uses as a resultative complement meaning 'to afford' or 'to manage' (买得起, 看不起). The breadth of modern uses all trace back to upward or initiating motion.
Cultural note
The potential complement pattern 得起 / 不起 trips up almost every learner: 对不起 literally means 'unable to face (you) rising up', i.e. cannot meet your gaze, which is why it means 'sorry'. Once you see 起 as 'measure up to' in these forms, dozens of expressions click into place.
Basic info
| Pinyin | qǐ |
| Meanings | to rise, start |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #135 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 起
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.