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質

简质 · 繁質

Mandarin · pinyin zhì

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質: Look up this written character
质: zhì · matter, material, substance

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4 · zhi4

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1character link113same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

質 · find source passages ↗ · 质 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zat1 · zi3

Cantonese word readings for 質. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

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

character · Etymology 2

to pawn
collateral; security; object or person given as a pledge
(alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 贄 /贽 (zhì, “gifts to superiors”)
a surname, Zhi

character · Etymology 3

(Cantonese) to stuff; to shove

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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