Chinese word

忌

Pronunciation

Pinyinjì

Meaning

  • verbavoid

Example

她忌讳别人提及她的过去。tā jì huì bié rén tí jí tā de guò qù

She avoids letting others mention her past.

Illustration for 忌 (avoid)

More examples

公司里大家忌讳谈论工资。gōng sī lǐ dà jiā jì huì tán lùn gōng zī

Everyone at the company avoids talking about salaries.

Core concept

An inner reaction puts a person on guard against something, leading to distance, restraint, or envy.

Common phrases

  • 忌讳提及jì huì tí jí

    avoid mentioning

  • 忌讳某些话题jì huì mǒu xiē huà tí

    avoid certain topics

Similar words

忌讳jì huì: To avoid mentioning or discussing something because social or personal rules make it taboo.
回避huí bì: To sidestep a problem, conflict, or awkward topic instead of facing it directly.
避免bì miǎn: To change an action or method so that an unwanted result does not occur.
厌恶yàn wù: To strongly dislike something and be unwilling to touch or deal with it.

Definition in Chinese

在心理上厌恶或害怕某事而回避，不愿提及或接触该事物。zài xīn lǐ shàng yàn wù huò hài pà mǒu shì ér huí bì bú yuàn tí jí huò jiē chù gāi shì wù

Word origin

忌 (jì, "to avoid") developed around the idea of an inward feeling that leads to rejection or restraint, with 心 (xīn, "heart or mind") making that emotional basis visible.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often hear "avoid" as a neutral practical choice, but this Chinese verb usually highlights reluctance, unease, or a sense that contact would be unsuitable.

Other meanings

  • be jealous ofverb
  • abstain fromverb

Opposites

  • 提及tí jímentionverb

Related words

Word lists with this word