契

契 U+5951, 契 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5951 ← 奐 [U+5950] CJK Unified Ideographs 奒 → [U+5952]

契 U+F909, 契 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F909 ← 龜 [U+F908] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 金 → [U+F90A]

Translingual

Han character

契 (radical 37, 大+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 手竹大 (QHK), four-corner 5743₂, composition ⿱㓞大(GHTKV) or ⿱𭃌大(J))

1. deed, contract, bond
2. engrave

Derived characters

• 偰, 喫, 契, 揳, 楔, 猰, 瘈, 碶, 禊, 稧, 窫, 葜, 褉, 鍥/锲, 㓶, 㝣, 䚉/𬢐, 䝟, 䦬, 䫔, 䱮, 𢝛, 𣸲, 𤋸, 𤟐, 𤧃, 𦝜, 𦩣, 𧩶, 𧼪, 𨂰, 𨜒, 𨜣, 𩮁, 𩴅, 𪃈, 𪰳

References

• KangXi: page 251, character 21
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5917
• Dae Jaweon: page 513, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 536, character 10
• Unihan data for U+5951

---

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 契
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (丯) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
夆	*pʰoŋ, *boŋ, *ɡaːds
丯	*kreːds
瘛	*kʰjeds, *ɡeːds, *kʰjed
觢	*ɡjeds
契	*kʰeːds, *kʰeːd, *kʰeːd, *kʰɯd
栔	*kʰeːds
禊	*ɡeːds
稧	*ɡeːds
楔	*kreːd, *sqʰeːd
葜	*kʰreːd
猰	*qreːd, *kraːd, *kʰeːd
窫	*qreːd
揳	*sqʰeːd
偰	*sqʰeːd
潔	*keːd
絜	*keːd, *ɡeːd
鍥	*keːd, *kʰeːd
挈	*kʰeːd
蛪	*kʰeːd
齧	*ŋeːd
褉	*qʰeːd
喫	*ŋ̊ʰeːɡ

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		契

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qì (qi⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˋ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): kai³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): kai¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): khie
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): khòe / khè / khère

  (Teochew, Peng'im): koi³ / ki³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: qì
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˋ
    • Wade–Giles: ch'ih⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chih
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cì
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: kai³
    • Yale: kai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: kei³
    • IPA ^(key): /kʰɐi̯³³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: kai¹
    • IPA ^(key): /kʰai³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khie
    • Hakka Romanization System: kie
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kie⁴
    • IPA: /kʰi̯e⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khòe
    • Tâi-lô: khuè
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qoex
    • IPA (Kinmen): /kʰue¹²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰue⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰue²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰue¹¹/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khè
    • Tâi-lô: khè
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qex
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kʰe²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰe⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Sanxia)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khère
    • Tâi-lô: kherè

Note:

• Xiamen, Quanzhou:
  • khòe - vernacular;
  • khè - literary.

(Teochew)

• Peng'im: koi³ / ki³
• Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khòi / khì
• IPA ^(key): /kʰoi²¹³/, /kʰi²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /kʰei^H/▼

Rime
Character	契
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	苦計切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰeiH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰeiH/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɛiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɛjH/
Li Rong	/kʰeiH/
Wang Li	/kʰieiH/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰieiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qì

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[kʰ]ˤet-s/, /*kʰˤet/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰeːds/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	契	契
Reading #	1/3	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qì	qiè
Middle Chinese	‹ khejH ›	‹ khet ›
Old Chinese	/*[kʰ]ˁet-s/	/*kʰˁet/
English	script notches	cut
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	契
Reading #	1/4
No.	6493
Phonetic component	丯
Rime group	祭
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	契
Old Chinese	/*kʰeːds/

Definitions

契

1. contract; deed
2. to agree; to conform with; to tally with
3. (literary) to carve; to engrave
4. (literary) carved writing; engraved writing
5. (Cantonese, Min Nan) adopted; adoptive; foster

Compounds

Derived terms from 契

• 丹書鐵契／丹书铁契
• 主契約／主契约
• 亞米契斯／亚米契斯
• 交契
• 佃契
• 借契
• 冥契
• 勞動契約／劳动契约
• 參同契／参同契
• 合契若神
• 同窗契友
• 單務契約／单务契约
• 團契／团契 (tuánqì)
• 地契 (dìqì)
• 壓契／压契
• 契刀
• 契分
• 契券 (qìquàn)
• 契勘
• 契友
• 契合 (qìhé)
• 契合金蘭／契合金兰
• 契契
• 契尾
• 契據／契据 (qìjù)
• 契文
• 契文舉例／契文举例
• 契機／契机 (qìjī)
• 契稅／契税

• 契箭
• 契約／契约 (qìyuē)
• 契約書／契约书 (qìyuēshū)
• 契約說／契约说
• 契約農業／契约农业
• 契若金蘭／契若金兰
• 契重
• 契需
• 姻契
• 宓契爾／宓契尔
• 官契
• 工作契約／工作契约
• 左契
• 心契
• 忘年之契
• 忘形之契
• 房契 (fángqì)
• 承攬契約／承揽契约
• 投契 (tóuqì)
• 文契
• 書契／书契 (shūqì)
• 有償契約／有偿契约
• 有名契約／有名契约
• 欠契
• 死契
• 殷墟書契／殷墟书契
• 殷契
• 水乳之契
• 活契

• 無償契約／无偿契约
• 田契
• 白契
• 相契
• 知契
• 磚契／砖契
• 社會契約／社会契约
• 神會心契／神会心契
• 租契
• 租賃契約／租赁契约
• 稅契／税契
• 立契 (lìqì)
• 符契
• 紅契／红契
• 結契／结契
• 絕契／绝契
• 老契
• 至交契友
• 莫逆之契
• 虛錢實契／虚钱实契
• 衿契
• 賢契／贤契
• 賣契／卖契
• 賣身契／卖身契 (màishēnqì)
• 道契
• 隨意契約／随意契约
• 雙務契約／双务契约
• 驗契／验契
• 默契 (mòqì)

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		契

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qì (qi⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kit³, hat¹, kai²
• Min Nan (POJ): khit

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: qì
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˋ
    • Wade–Giles: ch'ih⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chih
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cì
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: kit³, hat¹, kai²
    • Yale: kit, hāt, kái
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kit⁸, hat⁷, kai²
    • Guangdong Romanization: kid³, hed¹, kei²
    • IPA ^(key): /kʰiːt̚³/, /hɐt̚⁵/, /kʰɐi̯³⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khit
    • Tâi-lô: khit
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qid
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰit̚⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /kʰɨt̚/▼

Rime
Character	契
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	迄 (58)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	去迄切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰɨt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰɨt̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰiət̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɨt̚/
Li Rong	/kʰiət̚/
Wang Li	/kʰĭət̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰi̯ət̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qi

• Old Chinese▼

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰɯd/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	契
Reading #	4/4
No.	6519
Phonetic component	丯
Rime group	物
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*kʰɯd/

Definitions

契

1. Only used in 契丹 (Qìdān).

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.		契
variant forms		偰

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiè (xie⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄝˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sit³
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): siat

  (Teochew, Peng'im): siêg⁴ / siag⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: xiè
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄝˋ
    • Wade–Giles: hsieh⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shieh
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siè
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sit³
    • Yale: sit
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sit⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: xid³
    • IPA ^(key): /siːt̚³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siat
    • Tâi-lô: siat
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siad
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiɛt̚⁵/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: siêg⁴ / siag⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siek / siak
    • IPA ^(key): /siek̚²/, /siak̚²/

Definitions

契

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

Etymology 4

simp. and trad.		契

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiè (qie⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄝˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kit³
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): khiat

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kiêg⁴ / kiag⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: qiè
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄝˋ
    • Wade–Giles: ch'ieh⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chieh
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciè
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰjɛ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: kit³
    • Yale: kit
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kit⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: kid³
    • IPA ^(key): /kʰiːt̚³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiat
    • Tâi-lô: khiat
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiad
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiɛt̚⁵/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kiêg⁴ / kiag⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khiek / khiak
    • IPA ^(key): /kʰiek̚²/, /kʰiak̚²/

---

• Middle Chinese: /kʰet̚/▼

Rime
Character	契
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	屑 (87)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	苦結切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰet̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰet̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɛt̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɛt̚/
Li Rong	/kʰet̚/
Wang Li	/kʰiet̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰiet̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qie

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kʰˤet/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰeːd/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	契
Reading #	2/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qiè
Middle Chinese	‹ khet ›
Old Chinese	/*kʰˁet/
English	契闊 hard-working (Ode 31.4)
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	契	契
Reading #	2/4	3/4
No.	6511	6514
Phonetic component	丯	丯
Rime group	月	月
Rime subdivision	2	2
Corresponding MC rime	猰	猰
Old Chinese	/*kʰeːd/	/*kʰeːd/

Definitions

契

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

Compounds

• 契闊／契阔 (qièkuò)

• 契闊談讌／契阔谈讌

• 死生契闊／死生契阔

References

• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00864
• “契”, 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–

---

Japanese

Kanji

契

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. pledge (allegiance)
2. commit oneself
3. promise (loyalty)

Readings

• Go-on: け (ke); けち (kechi); せち (sechi)
• Kan-on: けい (kei, Jōyō); けつ (ketsu); せつ (setsu)
• Kun: ちぎる (chigiru, 契る, Jōyō); きざむ (kizamu, 契む); わりふ (warifu, 契)

Compounds

• 契約 (けいやく) (keiyaku): contract, agreement

Proper noun

契 (hiragana ひさし, rōmaji Hisashi)

1. A male given name

---

Korean

Hanja

契 • (gye, geul) (hangeul 계, 글, revised gye, geul, McCune–Reischauer kye, kŭl)

1. deed
2. contract, bond
3. engrave

---

Vietnamese

Han character

契 (khế, khé, khè, khía, khít, khẻ, khẽ, khịt)

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