HSK · Level 120
45 words
Chinese word
之
Pronunciation
Pinyinzhī
Meaning
- particleof
Example
此书之封面已旧。cǐ shū zhī fēng miàn yǐ jiù
The cover of this book is already old.
More examples
历史事件之所以复杂，是因为背景多样。lì shǐ shì jiàn zhī suó yǐ fù zá shì yīn wèi bèi jǐng duō yàng
The reason historical events are complex is that their backgrounds are diverse.
Core concept
A compact literary link that connects one noun to a related noun, often showing possession or an identifying relationship.
Common phrases
之所以zhī suó yǐ
the reason why
之于zhī yú
for
Similar words
的de: Links two nouns to show that one belongs to the other.
Definition in Chinese
书面语及古代汉语中的虚词，主要用于表示领属或指示，也在文言中见到作动词用表示‘去’或‘往’的用法。shū miàn yǔ jí gǔ dài hàn yǔ zhōng de xū cí zhǔ yào yòng yú biǎo shì líng shǔ huò zhǐ shì yě zài wén yán zhōng jiàn dào zuò dòng cí yòng biǎo shì qù huò wǎng de yòng fǎ
Word origin
The character 之 (zhī, "of") originally depicted a foot moving toward a destination, and its early sense of going later developed into a grammatical linking word.
Usage tips
- Modern spoken Chinese usually uses the particle pronounced de for this relationship, so this form is most useful for reading formal language, classical texts, and fixed expressions.