質

See also: 貭 and 质

質	U+8CEA, 質 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8CEA

← 賩

CJK Unified Ideographs

賫 →

Translingual

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 1210, character 7
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 36833
Dae Jaweon: page 1676, character 5
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3648, character 8
Unihan data for U+8CEA

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 質
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
質	tids, tjid
躓	*tids
懫	tids, tjid
礩	tjids, tjid
櫍	*tjid
劕	*tjid
鑕	*tjid

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : 斦 + 貝. Zhu Junsheng also interpret this as a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声) , where he regards 斦 as an original form of 櫍 (OC *tjid).

Etymology 1

trad.		質
simp.		质
alternative forms		貭筫𫎘𧸲

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): zhì, zhí

(Zhuyin): ㄓˋ, ㄓˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zi²
Cantonese (Jyutping): zat¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chṳt

(Hailu, HRS): zhid
Jin (Wiktionary): zeh⁴
Northern Min (KCR): cĭ
Eastern Min (BUC): cék
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chit

(Teochew, Peng'im): ziêh⁴ / zioh⁴
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁷tseq

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhì
  - Zhuyin: ㄓˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhìh
  - Wade–Giles: chih⁴
  - Yale: jr̀
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyh
  - Palladius: чжи (čži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhí
  - Zhuyin: ㄓˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhíh
  - Wade–Giles: chih²
  - Yale: jŕ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyr
  - Palladius: чжи (čži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: zi²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: z
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sz̩²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: zat¹
  - Yale: jāt
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzat⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: zed¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐt̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chṳt
  - Hakka Romanization System: ziid^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sɨt̚²/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: zhid
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃit⁵/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: zeh⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡səʔ²/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡si²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: cék
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛiʔ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chit
  - Tâi-lô: tsit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cid
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sit̚⁵/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sit̚³²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: ziêh⁴ / zioh⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsieh / tsioh
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sieʔ²/, /t͡sioʔ²/

Note:

ziêh4 - Chaozhou;
zioh4 - Shantou.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁷tseq
  - MiniDict: tseh^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴tseq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡səʔ⁵⁵/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 質
Mandarin	Beijing	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
	Harbin	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹³/
	Tianjin	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹³/
	Qingdao	/tʃz̩⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²⁴/
	Xi'an	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹/
	Xining	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩¹³/
	Lanzhou	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩¹³/
	Ürümqi	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹³/
	Wuhan	/t͡sz̩²¹³/
	Chengdu	/t͡sz̩³¹/
	Guiyang	/t͡sz̩²¹/
	Kunming	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³¹/
	Nanjing	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩ʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/ʈ͡ʂəʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡səʔ²/
	Pingyao	/ʈ͡ʂʌʔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡səʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡səʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡səʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡səʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/t͡sai²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕiʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/t͡ɕi⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡sɨʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/t͡sət̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/tʃït̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/t͡sɐt̚⁵/
	Nanning	/t͡sɐt̚⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/t͡sɐt̚⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/t͡sit̚³²/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/t͡sɛiʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/t͡si²⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/t͡sioʔ²/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/t͡sit̚⁵/

Middle Chinese: tsyit

Rime
Character	質
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	質 (48)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	之日切
Baxter	tsyit
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕjet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cit̚/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕiĕt̚/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕĭĕt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/t͡ɕi̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zat¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*t-lit/

(Zhengzhang): /*tjid/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	質
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhì
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyit ›
Old Chinese	/*t-lit/
English	substance, solid part
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * 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	質
Reading #	2/2
No.	17401
Phonetic component	質
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	質
Old Chinese	/*tjid/
Notes	金文本從折聲

Definitions

質

matter; material; substance
nature; intrinsic quality; essence
quality
(Cantonese, literary, or in compounds) to query; to ask about
(literary, or in compounds) simple; plain
Alternative form of 櫍 / 𬃊 (zhì)

Synonyms

(matter): 物質／物质 (wùzhì)
(nature):

edit

實質 / 实质 (shízhì)
性質 / 性质 (xìngzhì)
本色
本質 / 本质 (běnzhì)
真態 / 真态 (zhēntài) (literary)
素質 / 素质 (sùzhì)

(quality):

Dialectal synonyms of 質量 (“quality (opposite of quantity 數量)”)

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		質, 品
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		品質, 成色, 質量
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	質量, 品質
	Taiwan	品質
	Singapore	品質
Cantonese	Hong Kong	質素, 品質

(to query):

edit

了解 (liǎojiě)
咨問 / 咨问 (zīwèn) (literary)
問 / 问 (wèn)
問訊 / 问讯 (wènxùn)
問話 / 问话 (wènhuà) (of superiors or elders)
打聽 / 打听 (dǎtīng)
扣問 / 扣问 (kòuwèn) (literary)
探問 / 探问 (tànwèn)
探詢 / 探询 (tànxún)
查問 / 查问 (cháwèn)
查詢 / 查询 (cháxún)
訊問 / 讯问 (xùnwèn)
詢問 / 询问 (xúnwèn)
諮詢 / 谘询 (zīxún)

(simple):

edit

古拙 (gǔzhuó)
古樸 / 古朴 (gǔpǔ)
樸實 / 朴实 (pǔshí)
樸素 / 朴素 (pǔsù)
樸質 / 朴质 (pǔzhì) (archaic)
素樸 / 素朴 (sùpǔ)
質樸 / 质朴 (zhìpǔ)
質素 / 质素 (zhìsù)

Compounds

Etymology 2

trad.		質
simp.		质
alternative forms		貭筫𫎘𧸲

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zhì (zhi⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄓˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zi³
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chṳt / chṳ
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chì / chit

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhì
  - Zhuyin: ㄓˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhìh
  - Wade–Giles: chih⁴
  - Yale: jr̀
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyh
  - Palladius: чжи (čži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: zi³
  - Yale: ji
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzi³
  - Guangdong Romanization: ji³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chṳt / chṳ
  - Hakka Romanization System: ziid^ˋ / zii
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zid⁵ / zi⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sɨt̚²/, /t͡sɨ⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chì / chit
  - Tâi-lô: tsì / tsit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cix, cid
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡si²¹/, /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡si⁴¹/, /t͡sit̚⁵/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡si²¹/, /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡si¹¹/, /t͡sit̚³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡si²¹/, /t͡sit̚³²/

Note:

chì - Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou;
chit - Taiwan, Xiamen, Quanzhou.

Middle Chinese: trijH

Rime
Character	質
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	知 (9)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	陟利切
Baxter	trijH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈˠiɪ^H/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈᵚi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiɪ^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈji^H/
Li Rong	/ȶji^H/
Wang Li	/ȶi^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȶi^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zi³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*<r>ip-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*tids/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	質
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhì
Middle Chinese	‹ trij^H ›
Old Chinese	/*<r>ip-s/
English	hostage; gift
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * 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	質
Reading #	1/2
No.	17397
Phonetic component	質
Rime group	至
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	致
Old Chinese	/*tids/

Definitions

質

to pawn
collateral; security; object or person given as a pledge
人質／人质 ― rénzhì ― hostage
Alternative form of 贄 / 贽 (zhì, “gifts to superiors”)
a surname: Zhi

Compounds

Etymology 3

trad.		質
simp.		质
alternative forms		枳

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): zat¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: zat¹
  - Yale: jāt
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzat⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: zed¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐt̚⁵/

Definitions

質

(Cantonese) to stuff; to shove

Synonyms

扤, 塞

Related terms

密質質 / 密质质 (mat⁶ zat¹ zat¹), 屈質 / 屈质 (wat¹ zat¹)

References

“質”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A03970

Japanese

Kanji

質

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Go-on: しち (shichi, Jōyō)、ち (chi, Jōyō ^†)
Kan-on: しつ (shitsu, Jōyō)、ち (chi, Jōyō ^†)
Kun: もと (moto, 質)、たち (tachi, 質)、ただす (tadasu, 質す)、しろ (shiro)
Nanori: かた (kata)、さだ (sada)、さだむ (sadamu)、すなお (sunao)、ただ (tada)、ただし (tadashi)、ただす (tadasu)、み (mi)、もと (moto)

Alternative forms

貭 (variant)

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
質
しつ Grade: 5
kan'on

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) しつ (Heiban – )^[1]^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key):

Noun

質(しつ) • (shitsu)

quality

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
質
しち Grade: 5
goon

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) しち (Odaka – )^[1]^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key):

Noun

質(しち) • (shichi)

pawn

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
質
たち Grade: 5
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 質 – see the following entry.

【たち】	nature (of a person or an illness)

(This term, 質, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 質 (MC tsyit).

Historical readings

Recorded as Middle Korean 지ᇙ〮 (Yale: cílq) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Recorded as Middle Korean 질 (cil)^訓 (Yale: cil) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

質

Wikisource

質 (eumhun 바탕 질 (batang jil))

hanja form^? of 질 (“matter”)
hanja form^? of 질 (“nature; disposition”)
hanja form^? of 질 (“quality”)

Compounds

수질 (水質, sujil)
질의 (質疑, jirui)
질책 (質責, jilchaek)
질감 (質感, jilgam)
질량 (質量, jillyang)
질권 (質權, jilgwon)
본질 (本質, bonjil)
성질 (性質, seongjil)
물질 (物質, muljil)
품질 (品質, pumjil)
언질 (言質, eonjil)
균질 (均質, gyunjil)
기질 (氣質, gijil)
재질 (材質, jaejil)
양질 (良質, yangjil)
저질 (低質, jeojil)
실질 (實質, siljil)
변질 (變質, byeonjil)
체질 (體質, chejil)
소질 (素質, sojil)
질문 (質問, jilmun, “question”)

Etymology 2

From a corrupted or unorthodox reading influenced by Middle Chinese 質 (MC tsyit). The original reading is 지 (ji) based on Middle Chinese 質 (MC trijH, “hostage”).

Historical readings

Recorded as Middle Korean 딩〮 (Yale: tí) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

質 (eumhun 볼모 질 (bolmo jil))

hanja form^? of 질 (“hostage”)

Compounds

인질 (人質, injil, “hostage”)

Etymology 3

Related to Middle Chinese 贄 (MC tsyijH).

Hanja

質 (eumhun 폐백(幣帛) 지)

Alternative form of 贄 (“hanja form^? of 지 (“gift”)”)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

質: Hán Nôm readings: chất, chát, chắc, chặt, chắt, chớt

[NHK-1] 1.0 ^1.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[SMK5-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]

[3]

Translingual

Han character

Derived characters

Related characters

References

Chinese

Glyph origin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

Synonyms

Compounds

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Definitions

Synonyms

Related terms

References

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Alternative forms

Compounds

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Etymology 3

References

Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Hanja

Compounds

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Hanja

Compounds

Etymology 3

Hanja

References

Vietnamese

Han character

Wikious

Boobota

Sagapedia