介

See also: 个 and 𠆤

介	U+4ECB, 介 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4ECB

← 今
[U+4ECA]

CJK Unified Ideographs

仌 →
[U+4ECC]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

介 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人中中 (OLL), four-corner 8022₀, composition ⿱人⿰丿丨)

Derived characters

价, 吤, 圿, 妎, 㜾, 尬, 𡵚, 㠹, 忦, 扴, 𣲤, 阶, 斺, 𭨫, 𬂣, 𣬫, 炌, 𤘦, 𭷼, 玠, 𭺝, 祄, 畍, 𥄍, 砎, 𥝵, 紒, 蚧, 衸, 𧣋, 䚸, 𧿩, 𫒌, 𩈋, 𩉡, 𩡺(𩧦), 骱, 魀, 魪(𬶇), 𭍲, 𩾴, 𪐱, 齘(𬹼)
𠇧, 㰡, 𬿋, 𬿷, 䲸(𮭡), 𭀐, 𠨴, 㝏, 岕, 芥, 界, 𪽐, 㖎/㖋, 𣓴, 䯰, 𢗊, 𠌕, 庎, 疥, 䦏, 𣽀
𰁽

Descendants

ケ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 91, character 19
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 359
Dae Jaweon: page 194, character 4
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 103, character 9
Unihan data for U+4ECB

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 介
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Oracle bone script j01444 j01445 j01446 j01447 j01448 j01449 Small seal script s00795 Transcribed ancient scripts L36198 L36199 L21168 L21169 L21170 L21171 L21172 L21173
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

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

	Old Chinese
妎	ɡaːds, ɡeːds
芥	*kreːds
尬	*kreːds
界	*kreːds
介	*kreːds
疥	*kreːds
玠	*kreːds
砎	kreːds, kreːd, *ɡraːd
魪	*kreːds
价	*kreːds
衸	kreːds, ɡreːds
齘	*ɡreːds
骱	ɡaːd, kreːd
扴	*kreːd
圿	*kreːd
忦	*kreːd

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 人 (“person”) + two marks encompassing, indicating "in between". Folk etymology interprets the two marks as two components of an armor.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		介

"to assist": Developed from 介 (OC *kreːds, “armored men”), from 介 (OC *kreːds, “armor”), ultimately from 介 (OC *kreːds, “scale (of animals)”). (Schuessler, 2007)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jiè (jie⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄝˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): jiai⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gaai³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): gai¹
Gan (Wiktionary): gai⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kie / kiai

(Meixian, Guangdong): giai⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): jie³
Northern Min (KCR): ga̿i
Eastern Min (BUC): gái
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gai⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kài

(Teochew, Peng'im): gai³
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁵ka; ⁵cia
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gai⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiè
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄝˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiè
  - Wade–Giles: chieh⁴
  - Yale: jyè
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jieh
  - Palladius: цзе (cze)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: jiai⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giai
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiɛi²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gaai³
  - Yale: gaai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gaai³
  - Guangdong Romanization: gai³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːi̯³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: gai¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: gai⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai³⁵/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kie
  - Hakka Romanization System: gie
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gie⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ki̯e⁵⁵/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiai
  - Hakka Romanization System: giai
  - Hagfa Pinyim: giai⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ki̯ai̯⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: giai⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /kiaɪ⁵³/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jie³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕie⁴⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ga̿i
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai³³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gái
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑi²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gai⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kài
  - Tâi-lô: kài
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kaix
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kai²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kai⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kai²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kai¹¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kai²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gai³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kài
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ⁵ka; ⁵cia
  - MiniDict: ka^去; cia^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²ka; ²jia
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ka³⁴/, /t͡ɕia³⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /kɑ⁵²³/, /t͡ɕiɑ⁵²³/

Note:

⁵ka, ¹ka - colloquial;
⁵cia - literary.

Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: gai⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai̯⁴⁵/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 介
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕiɛ⁵¹/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕiɛ⁵³/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕie⁵³/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕiɛ²¹/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕiɛ⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕiɛ³¹²/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕiɛ⁴⁴/
	Xining	/t͡ɕi²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕie¹³/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕiə¹³/ /kɛ¹³/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕiɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/kai³⁵/
	Chengdu	/kai¹³/ /t͡ɕiai¹³/
	Guiyang	/kai²¹³/ /t͡ɕie²¹³/
	Kunming	/kæ²¹²/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕiɛ⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕie̞⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕie⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕie̞³⁵/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕie⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/ka³⁵/ /t͡ɕia³⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕiɑ⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕie̞⁴⁴⁵/
	Wenzhou	/ka⁴²/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕia³²⁴/ /ka³²⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/ka⁴²/
Xiang	Changsha	/kai⁵⁵/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/kai⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/kai⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/kiai⁵³/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/ke⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kai³³/
	Nanning	/kai³³/
	Hong Kong	/kai³³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kai²¹/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kɑi²¹²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kai³³/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kai²¹³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/kai³⁵/

Middle Chinese: keajH

Rime
Character	介
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	皆 (33)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	古拜切
Baxter	keajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠɛi^H/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚæi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/kɐi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəɨj^H/
Li Rong	/kɛi^H/
Wang Li	/kɐi^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kăi^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gaai³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤr[e]p-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*kreːds/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	介
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiè
Middle Chinese	‹ kɛj^H ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁr[e]p-s/
English	armour; scale of animals
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	介
Reading #	1/1
No.	6525
Phonetic component	介
Rime group	祭
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	誡
Old Chinese	/*kreːds/

Definitions

介

to lie between
to relate two things; to connect; to link; to introduce
to assist; to help
to hang; to suspend
to rely on; to depend on
firm; persistent; unswerving
such; like this; this kind of
Original form of 界 (jiè, “boundary; role; duty”).
iota; tiny bit. Alternative form of 芥
Classifier for people or copper coins.
seashell; shell
to wear armour
(Eastern Min) again; re-
(Taiwan) zepto- (SI unit prefix)
Synonym: 仄 (Mainland)

Compounds

Descendants

→ Proto-Tai: *klecꟲ
- Proto-Southwestern Tai: *kletᴰ
  - Thai: เกล็ด (glèt)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 再 (“again”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		再
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	再
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	再
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	再
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	再
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	又, 再
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	再
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	再
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	再
Cantonese	Guangzhou	再, 添 >
	Hong Kong	再, 添 >
	Yangjiang	應
Gan	Nanchang	再, 湊 >
Hakka	Meixian	再, 添 >
Jin	Taiyuan	再
Northern Min	Jian'ou	再, 唵
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	再, 蓋, 介
Eastern Min	Fuqing	介
Southern Min	Xiamen	閣, 閣再
	Quanzhou	閣, 閣再
	Zhangzhou	閣, 閣再
	Tainan	閣, 閣再
	Singapore (Hokkien)	閣, 閣再
	Manila (Hokkien)	閣, 閣再, 過再, 閣過再
	Chaozhou	再
Wu	Shanghai	又, 再
	Suzhou	再
	Wenzhou	再, 添 >
Xiang	Changsha	再
Xiang	Shuangfeng	再, 還
Note	> - used after the object

References

“介”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		介
alternative forms		價／价

From 個／个, attested since the Song Dynasty.

Pronunciation

Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹ka / ⁵ka

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹ka
  - MiniDict: ka^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ka
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ka⁵³/
- (Northern: Hangzhou, Ningbo)
  - Wugniu: ⁵ka
  - MiniDict: ka^去
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /kɑ⁴⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /ka⁵⁵/

Definitions

介 (Wu)

used to indicate a great degree
介大 [Ningbonese] ― ⁵ka ⁶du [Wugniu] ― so big
an adverbialiser; in the manner of
搿能介 [Shanghainese] ― ⁸geq-nen-ka [Wugniu] ― in this way

像伊一能介 [Shanghainese] ― ⁶zhian ⁶yi ⁷iq-nen-ka [Wugniu] ― in the manner of him

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 這麼 (“this; so; such (modifies adj.)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		如此
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		如此
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	這麼
	Taiwan	這麼
	Harbin	這麼
	Malaysia	這樣
	Singapore	這樣, 這麼
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	這麼
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	這麼
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	陣
	Wanrong	這麼
	Xi'an	這們, 陣
	Xining	這們
	Xuzhou	恁麼
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	這麼
	Lanzhou	這們
	Ürümqi	這麼
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	這們, 這麼, 嘞們
	Wuhan	這麼, 這樣, 這個樣子
	Guiyang	仲個
	Guilin	這樣
	Liuzhou	陣, 哏
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	這麼, 這樣子
	Yangzhou	這們
	Nantong	格麼
Cantonese	Guangzhou	咁
	Hong Kong	咁
	Foshan	咁
	Taishan	該
	Dongguan	呢咁, 咁
	Yunfu	咁
	Yangjiang	果樣, 拱
	Xinyi	咁
	Nanning	咁
	Wuzhou	咁
	Yulin	咁
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	果
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	咁
	Penang (Guangfu)	咁
	Singapore (Guangfu)	咁
Gan	Nanchang	箇
	Lichuan	該樣
	Pingxiang	箇, 箇史
Hakka	Meixian	恁
	Xingning	恁, 咁
	Huidong (Daling)	恁, 咁
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	咁
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	咁
	Changting	仰
	Wuping	恁
	Wuping (Pingyu)	恁
	Liancheng	樣
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	恁
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	恁
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	恁
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	恁
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	恁
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	恁
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	咁
	Senai (Huiyang)	恁
	Kuching (Hepo)	恁
Huizhou	Jixi	爾的
Jin	Taiyuan	這來
Jin	Xinzhou	這啦, 這麼, 這來
Northern Min	Jian'ou	𱕇
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	只滿, 只
	Fuqing	者滿
	Singapore (Fuqing)	者滿
Southern Min	Xiamen	遮, 遮爾, 遮爾仔
	Quanzhou	拙, 拙幹
	Jinjiang	拙, 拙爾, 障, 障爾
	Zhangzhou	遮爾, 遮爾仔
	Tainan	遮, 遮爾, 遮爾仔
	Singapore (Hokkien)	按呢
	Manila (Hokkien)	奐, 現, 喝, 遐, 遮, 拙
	Chaozhou	照, 照生
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	照
	Singapore (Teochew)	只生
	Leizhou	偌
	Haikou	只, 者
Puxian Min	Putian	只何
Puxian Min	Xianyou	只何
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	更
Wu	Shanghai	搿能, 搿能介, 搿個能, 介, 實能 dated, 實個能 dated
	Shanghai (Xinzhuang, Minhang)	迭能
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	若介, 實介, 能, 能介
	Shanghai (Chuansha, Pudong)	迭個能
	Shanghai (Fengxian)	迭能
	Shanghai (Jinshan)	格末, 格能介, 着介
	Shanghai (Qingpu)	介
	Shanghai (Jiading)	實恁
	Shanghai (Shuangcaodun, Baoshan)	實倫
	Shanghai (Luodian, Baoshan)	特能, 迭能, 實能
	Shanghai (Chongming)	能
	Suzhou	該實梗, 該尚, 哀實梗, 哀尚, 實梗, 尚
	Danyang	根
	Hangzhou	價套, 價, 實價套, 實價
	Ningbo	介
	Wenzhou	該恁, 恁
	Jinhua	帳, 格生, 格亨, 喪
	Jinhua (Tangxi)	絞麼
Xiang	Changsha	咯樣
Xiang	Quanzhou	這麼

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.		介

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): gai¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gai¹
  - Yale: gāi
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gai¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gei¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐi̯⁵⁵/

Definitions

介

(Hong Kong) Informal shorthand for 雞／鸡 (gai1).

Etymology 4

simp. and trad.		介

Pronunciation

Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ke

Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ke
  - Hakka Romanization System: ge
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ge⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ke⁵⁵/

Definitions

介

(Hakka) Alternative form of 個 / 个 (“(particle; classifier)”)
- 2003, “花樹下 [Under the Flowers]”, 古秀如 (lyrics), 謝宇威 [Hsieh Yu-Wei] (music)‎^[2]performed by 謝宇威 [Hsieh Yu-Wei]:
  
  該紅紅白白介花 [Sixian Hakka, trad.]
  该红红白白介花 [Sixian Hakka, simp.]
  kai fùng-fùng pha̍k-pha̍k ke fâ [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]
  The red and white flowers

Japanese

Kanji

介

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

Go-on: け (ke)
Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
Kun: たすける (tasukeru, 介ける)、すけ (suke, 介)
Nanori: あき (aki)、ゆき (yuki)

Compounds

介意
介懐
介居
介(かい)護(ご) (kaigo)
介在
介子
介(かい)錯(しゃく) (kaishaku)
介(かい)助(じょ) (kaijo)
介心
介(かい)入(にゅう) (kainyū)
介馬
介(かい)抱(ほう) (kaihō)
介殻
介(かい)甲(こう) (kaikō)
介(すけ)党(とう)鱈(だら) (suketōdara): Alaska pollock
介(かい)病(びょう) (kaibyō): nursing a patient
介卵
介鱗

Related terms

Etymology

Kanji in this term
介
かい Grade: S
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 介 (MC keajH).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ka̠i]

Affix

介(かい) • (kai)

Korean

Hanja

介 (eum 개 (gae))

forerunner, herald, harbinger
to lie between
sea shell
to wear armor

Vietnamese

Han character

介: Hán Nôm readings: giới

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

SI prefix
Last		Next
阿	介/仄	攸/幺