<p>[<strong>系</strong>] is a traditional character as well as the simplified form for both [<strong>繫</strong>]  and [<strong>係</strong>] </p>

<p>没关<strong>系</strong> = 沒關<strong>係</strong></p>

<p>中文<strong>系</strong> = 中文<strong>系</strong></p>

<p><strong>系</strong>统 = <strong>系</strong>統</p>

<p>联<strong>系</strong> = 聯<strong>繫</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2831/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2831/</a></p>
  
  <p>系 </p>
  
  <p>Pinyin: xi4 </p>
  
  <p>[1] system; series; set</p>
  
  <p>[2] department; faculty</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2881/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2881/</a></p>
  
  <p>繫</p>
  
  <p>Pinyin:  xi4 | ji4 </p>
  
  <p>[1] tie; connect; fasten; bind up</p>
  
  <p>[2] relate to; bear on; depend on</p>
  
  <p>[3] be concerned; miss; bind to</p>
  
  <p>[粵] hai6 | [國] ji4</p>
  
  <p>button up; wear; knot</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/601/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/601/</a></p>
  
  <p>係</p>
  
  <p>Pinyin:  xi4</p>
  
  <p>[1] [粵] [v] to be; is; are</p>
  
  <p>[2] [粵] yes, it is; indeed; right; positive</p>
  
  <p>[3] [n] relation; relationship; consequence</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Question: When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？</em></p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>系 is pronounced /xi4/ when it is a traditional character (no difference in simplified form ), and means: system; department</p></li>
<li><p>系 is pronounced /xi4/ when it is the simplified form of 係, and means: relation; relationship; consequence </p></li>
<li><p>系 is pronounced /ji4/ when it is the simplified form of 繫, and means: button up; wear; knot</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-20T13:26:17.447Z
2017-09-20T13:43:31.680Z
2017-09-20T13:43:31.680Z
Tang Ho
<p>I think you already got it.  </p>

<p>Most of time, it's pronounced as xì/xi 系. When pronounced as（jì）, it means 'fasten' and 'tie'.  系安全带. and 系鞋带. are good examples. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-20T12:34:16.053Z
2017-09-20T12:34:16.053Z
dan
<ol>
<li>系:This is a multiple pronunciation word.</li>
<li>系[xì] 系统；世系。谱系；直系亲属。 某些学科中分类的名称。汉藏语系；印欧语系。 高等学校按专业性质设置的教学行政单位。数学系；历史系。 地质学名词。地层系统分类的第二级，小于界，相当于地质年代的纪。 姓。System;Lineage.Spectrum;Immediate family.The names of categories in certain subjects. Sino-tibetan language family; Indo-european. The teaching administrative unit of higher education is set according to the professional nature.Department of mathematics;The history department.Geological terms.The second level of stratigraphic system classification is less than the boundary, which is equivalent to the period of geological time.Last name.</li>
<li>系[xì]是。联缀，涉及，关系。挂念，牵记。[xì] is.Affix, involving, relation.Hang up, worry。</li>
<li>系[jì]打结或扣上。Tie [ji] knots or buckles.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-21T00:49:30.070Z
2017-09-21T00:49:30.070Z
Julia Collier
<p>A commonly used phrase is 没关系 (méiguānxi) which means "it doesn't matter"; it's used respond to 谢谢 (thank you) and 对不起 (sorry).</p>

<p>I found in <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/23931/8099">this question</a> that 系 can also be pronounced jì, as in 系好安全带 (jìhǎo ānquándài) meaning "fasten your seatbelt".</p>

<p>This means <a href="http://dict.cn/%E7%B3%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">系</a> is a <a href="https://baike.so.com/doc/1543904-1632144.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">多音字</a> (duō yīnzì) or a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_%28linguistics%29" rel="nofollow noreferrer">heteronym</a> (multiple pronunciation word).</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？</p>

<p>Doing a bit of Googling, I find:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://dict.cn/%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E7%B3%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中文系</a> = Zhōngwén xì (Chinese department)</li>
<li><a href="http://dict.cn/%E5%A4%AA%E9%98%B3%E7%B3%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">太阳系</a> = tài yáng xì (solar system)</li>
<li><a href="http://dict.cn/%E7%B3%BB%E7%BB%9F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">系统</a> = xì tǒng (system)</li>
<li><a href="http://dict.cn/%E8%81%94%E7%B3%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">联系</a> = lián xì (to contact)</li>
</ul>

<p>It looks like xì/xi is the default pronunciation.  I didn't find much with jì, except possibly 系好<a href="http://dict.cn/%E9%9E%8B%E5%B8%A6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">鞋带</a> (jìhǎo xiédài) = "tie your shoes".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-20T12:17:58.840Z
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/chinese-english/%E7%B3%BB
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-21T01:38:22.640Z
basically,  系 jì is used as a verb only.  xì is used as nouns, when xì is used as a verb standalone, it can be linking verb only 此人xì該公司主管, all xì in other verbs are not used standalone.
Daniel Yang
<usage><pronunciation>
When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？
# When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-20)

A commonly used phrase is 没关系 (méiguānxi) which means "it doesn't matter"; it's used respond to 谢谢 (thank you) and 对不起 (sorry).

I found in [this question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/23931/8099) that 系 can also be pronounced jì, as in 系好安全带 (jìhǎo ānquándài) meaning "fasten your seatbelt".

This means [系](http://dict.cn/%E7%B3%BB) is a [多音字](https://baike.so.com/doc/1543904-1632144.html) (duō yīnzì) or a [heteronym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_%28linguistics%29) (multiple pronunciation word).

**Question**: When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？

Doing a bit of Googling, I find:

* [中文系](http://dict.cn/%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E7%B3%BB) = Zhōngwén xì (Chinese department)
* [太阳系](http://dict.cn/%E5%A4%AA%E9%98%B3%E7%B3%BB) = tài yáng xì (solar system)
* [系统](http://dict.cn/%E7%B3%BB%E7%BB%9F) = xì tǒng (system)
* [联系](http://dict.cn/%E8%81%94%E7%B3%BB) = lián xì (to contact)

It looks like xì/xi is the default pronunciation. I didn't find much with jì, except possibly 系好[鞋带](http://dict.cn/%E9%9E%8B%E5%B8%A6) (jìhǎo xiédài) = "tie your shoes".

**Tags:** usage, pronunciation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/chinese-english/%E7%B3%BB  
> **username_2**: basically,  系 jì is used as a verb only.  xì is used as nouns, when xì is used as a verb standalone, it can be linking verb only 此人xì該公司主管, all xì in other verbs are not used standalone.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-09-20. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

[**系**] is a traditional character as well as the simplified form for both [**繫**] and [**係**]

没关**系** = 沒關**係**

中文**系** = 中文**系**

**系**统 = **系**統

联**系** = 聯**繫**

> <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2831/>
>
> 系
>
> Pinyin: xi4
>
> [1] system; series; set
>
> [2] department; faculty

~

> <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/2881/>
>
> 繫
>
> Pinyin: xi4 | ji4
>
> [1] tie; connect; fasten; bind up
>
> [2] relate to; bear on; depend on
>
> [3] be concerned; miss; bind to
>
> [粵] hai6 | [國] ji4
>
> button up; wear; knot

~

> <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/601/>
>
> 係
>
> Pinyin: xi4
>
> [1] [粵] [v] to be; is; are
>
> [2] [粵] yes, it is; indeed; right; positive
>
> [3] [n] relation; relationship; consequence

~

> *Question: When is 系 pronounced xì/xi and when is it pronounced jì？*

* 系 is pronounced /xi4/ when it is a traditional character (no difference in simplified form ), and means: system; department
* 系 is pronounced /xi4/ when it is the simplified form of 係, and means: relation; relationship; consequence
* 系 is pronounced /ji4/ when it is the simplified form of 繫, and means: button up; wear; knot


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-09-20. Score: 1

I think you already got it.

Most of time, it's pronounced as xì/xi 系. When pronounced as（jì）, it means 'fasten' and 'tie'. 系安全带. and 系鞋带. are good examples.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-09-21. Score: 0

1. 系:This is a multiple pronunciation word.
2. 系[xì] 系统；世系。谱系；直系亲属。 某些学科中分类的名称。汉藏语系；印欧语系。 高等学校按专业性质设置的教学行政单位。数学系；历史系。 地质学名词。地层系统分类的第二级，小于界，相当于地质年代的纪。 姓。System;Lineage.Spectrum;Immediate family.The names of categories in certain subjects. Sino-tibetan language family; Indo-european. The teaching administrative unit of higher education is set according to the professional nature.Department of mathematics;The history department.Geological terms.The second level of stratigraphic system classification is less than the boundary, which is equivalent to the period of geological time.Last name.
3. 系[xì]是。联缀，涉及，关系。挂念，牵记。[xì] is.Affix, involving, relation.Hang up, worry。
4. 系[jì]打结或扣上。Tie [ji] knots or buckles.


---

