Dictionary › 志

志

zhì

HSK 4 Character

What 志 means

1. aspiration
2. ambition
3. the will

Other readings

志 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• zhìsign; mark; to record

Example sentences

• 我是同志。
  I'm gay.
• 你是同志。
  You're gay.
• 人各有志。
  Each has their aspiration.
• 旧杂志卖完了。
  Jiù zázhì mài wán le.
  The old magazines are all sold out.
• 有志者事竟成。
  Yǒu zhìzhě shì jìng chéng.
  Where there is a will, there is a way.
• 她喜欢读杂志。
  She likes to read magazines.

Words starting with 志

• 志气zhì qìambition; resolve; backbone
• 志愿者zhì yuàn zhěvolunteer
• 志愿zhì yuànaspiration; ambition; to volunteer
• 志向zhì xiàngambition; goal; ideal
• 志愿军zhì yuàn jūnvolunteer army
• 志同道合zhì tóng dào hé(idiom) to be devoted to a common cause; to be like-minded
• 志士zhì shìperson committed to a noble cause or ideal
• 志趣zhì qùinclination; interest
• 志工zhì gōng(Taiwan) a volunteer
• 志留系Zhì liú xìSilurian system (geology); see 志留纪
• 志留纪Zhì liú jìSilurian (geological period 440-417m years ago)
• 志不在此zhì bù zài cǐto have one's ambitions elsewhere (idiom)
• 志得意满zhì dé yì mǎnfully content with one's achievements (idiom); complacent
• 志愿兵zhì yuàn bīngvolunteer soldier
• 志怪zhì guàito write about mysterious or supernatural things
• 志怪小说zhì guài xiǎo shuōtales of the supernatural (genre of fiction)
• 志高气扬zhì gāo qì yánghigh-spirited and smug
• 志丹县Zhì dān XiànZhidan, a county in Yan'an City 延安市
• 志贺氏菌病zhì hè shì jūn bìngshigellosis; bacillary dysentery
• 志士仁人zhì shì rén réngentleman aspiring to benevolence (idiom); people with lofty ideals
• 志哀zhì āito pay respects to the dead; to mark sb's passing
• 志在四方zhì zài sì fāngto aspire to travel far and make one's mark (idiom)
• 志丹Zhì dānsee 志丹县

Words containing 志

• 同志tóng zhìcomrade; (slang) homosexual
• 杂志zá zhìmagazine
• 标志biāo zhìsign; mark; symbol; logo; to symbolize; to indicate; to mark
• 意志yì zhìwill; willpower; determination
• 日志rì zhìjournal; log (computing)
• 杂志社zá zhì shèmagazine publisher
• 立志lì zhìto be determined; to be resolved
• 斗志dòu zhìwill to fight; fighting spirit
• 标志性biāo zhì xìngiconic
• 神志shén zhìconsciousness; state of mind; compos mentis
• 徐志摩Xú Zhì móXu Zhimo (1897-1931), writer and poet
• 励志lì zhìto pursue a goal with determination; inspirational; motivational
• 德意志Dé yì zhìDeutschland; Germany
• 李洪志Lǐ Hóng zhìLi Hongzhi (1951–), founder of Falun Gong 法轮功
• 林志玲Lín Zhì língLin Chi-ling (1974-), Taiwanese model and actress
• 有志yǒu zhìto be ambitious
• 专心致志zhuān xīn zhì zhì(idiom) single-minded; fully focused
• 壮志zhuàng zhìgreat goal; magnificent aspiration
• 县志xiàn zhìgeneral history of a county; county annals
• 得志dé zhìto accomplish one's ambition; a dream come true; to enjoy success
• 意志力yì zhì lìwillpower
• 三国志Sān guó zhìHistory of the Three Kingdoms, fourth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史
• 踌躇满志chóu chú mǎn zhìenormously proud of one's success (idiom); smug; complacent
• 大志dà zhìhigh aims

Characters built on 士

These share the phonetic component 士 (shì), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 喜xǐto be fond of; to like; to enjoy
• 吉jílucky; giga- (meaning billion or 10^9)
• 仕shìto serve as an official; an official; the two chess pieces in Chinese chess guarding the…

Characters that look like 志

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 态tài(bound form); appearance; shape
• 忘wàngto forget; to overlook; to neglect
• 忍rěnto bear; to endure; to tolerate
• 卷juànscroll; book; volume
• 忠zhōngloyal; devoted; faithful
• 忌jìto be jealous of; fear; dread

Sounds the same

Read zhì, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 至to arrive; most; to
• 质character; nature; quality
• 制system; to control; to regulate
• 治to rule; to govern; to manage
• 置to install; to place; to put
• 致(bound form) fine; delicate; exquisite
• 智(literary) wise; wisdom
• 秩(literary) salary according to rank; (literary) an official's rank; (literary) order…
• 滞(bound form) sluggish; stagnant
• 帜flag
• 挚sincere
• 掷to toss; to throw dice; Taiwan pr. zhí