HSK · Level 28
135 words
Chinese word
气
Pronunciation
Pinyinqì
Meaning
- nounbreath
Example
我跑完步，喘不过气。wǒ pǎo wán bù chuǎn bú guò qì
After I finish running, I cannot catch my breath.
More examples
我们一口气做完了作业。wǒ men yì kǒu qì zuò wán le zuò yè
We finished our homework in one go.
Core concept
Invisible air moves through the body as breath and surrounds it as ordinary air, with the same image extending to vital energy.
Common phrases
喘不过气chuǎn bú guò qì
be unable to catch one's breath
一口气做完yì kǒu qì zuò wán
finish in one go
Similar words
空气kōng qì: The air that fills and surrounds a place or area.
气氛qì fēn: The mood or feeling created in a place or group.
呼吸hū xī: The action of breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide.
气息qì xī: The smell or sound noticed from air breathed in or out.
Definition in Chinese
表示呼吸时进出体内的空气或气息，也指一般的空气或气体，有时指人体的元气。biǎo shì hū xī shí jìn chū tǐ nèi de kōng qì huò qì xī yě zhǐ yì bān de kōng qì huò qì tǐ yǒu shí zhǐ rén tǐ de yuán qì
Word origin
The simplified character 气 (qì, "air") comes from an older written form that pictured steam rising from cooked rice, linking visible vapor with air, breath, and vital energy.
Usage tips
- English often separates breath from air, but Chinese can use this word for both, so context shows whether it concerns breathing or the air around something.