季
jì
In Chinese, the word for season (as a quarter of a year) is 季 (jì). If unsure, use 季. Wiktionary also lists 季節 / 季节 (jìjié).
Meaning: quarter of a year (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 季 | jì |
| 季節 / 季节 | jìjié |
The term refers to a quarter of a year. You may use the measure word 个 (gè) when counting seasons. When describing products like seafood or produce that are currently at their peak, the term 当季 is used to mean 'in season'.
Which one should you use?
The single character 季 is more formal and is typically used in compound words or specific technical terms to denote a quarter of a year.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term season is expressed as 季節.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used to denote a specific quarter of a year, 季 acts as a suffix or part of a compound, such as in 第一季 (first quarter/season).
How do you pronounce it?
jì
Did you know?
- The character 季 is an ideogrammatic compound consisting of the radicals for 'grain' 禾 and 'child' 子.
- In ancient Chinese, 季 was used to refer to the youngest sibling or the last born of a generation.
- Chinese traditional culture associates each of the four seasons with a specific cardinal direction and one of the five elemental colors.
Examples in context
- 现在牡蛎当季吗？Are oysters in season now?This sentence is useful for asking if oysters are currently in season using 季.Tatoeba #8893006 by crescat, translation #8045839 by CK
- 棒球賽季開始了。Baseball season has begun.This sentence is useful for stating that a baseball season has begun using 季.Tatoeba #13532029 by LeviHighway, translation #4496002 by CK
- 今年的雨季來得早。The rainy season set in early this year.This sentence is useful for noting that the rainy season arrived early using 季.Tatoeba #13552247 by LeviHighway, translation #3022394 by sharptoothed
- 春季Spring
- 夏季Summer
- 秋季Autumn/Fall
- 冬季Winter
- 一个季节One season
- 四个季节Four seasons
- 夏天游泳Swim in the summer
- 冬天滑雪Ski in the winter
- 春暖花开Spring brings blossoms
- 秋高气爽Autumn is refreshing
- 冬暖夏凉Warm winter and cool summer
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan are discussing the upcoming financial report at the office.
- 伟 Wei這個季度的業績很好。zhè ge jì dù de yè jì hěn hǎo.This quarter's performance is very good.
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，我們做得不錯。shì de, wǒ men zuò de bù cuò.Yes, we did quite well.
- 伟 Wei妳對下個季度的計畫有想法嗎？nǐ duì xià ge jì dù de jì hua yǒu xiǎng fa ma?Do you have any ideas for next quarter's plan?
- 梓涵 Zihan我已經準備好了。wǒ yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi hǎo le.I have already prepared it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “season” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 季, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
