HSK Level 4

立即

lì jí

immediately; at once; promptly

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Example Sentences

Synonyms

立刻 (lì kè)

immediately

马上 (mǎ shang)

right away

Antonyms

迟缓 (chíhuǎn)

slow

延缓 (yán huǎn)

delay

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 立即 (lìjí) means "immediately" or "right away". It is composed of two characters: 立 (lì), which means "to stand up" or "to establish", and 即 (jí), which means "at once" or "immediately". The combination of these two characters suggests the idea of taking action or doing something without delay.The character 立 (lì) is often used in the sense of "to establish" or "to set up". For example, the word 立法 (lìfǎ) means "to establish laws", and the word 立国 (lìguó) means "to found a country". The character 即 (jí) is often used in the sense of "at once" or "immediately". For example, the word 即刻 (jíkè) means "at once", and the word 即时 (jíshí) means "real-time".When these two characters are combined to form the word 立即 (lìjí), the meaning is "immediately" or "right away". This word is often used in situations where there is a sense of urgency or a need for prompt action. For example, a doctor might tell a patient to take medication 立即 (lìjí), or a teacher might tell a student to complete an assignment 立即 (lìjí).The word 立即 (lìjí) is a common and useful word in Chinese. It is important for HSK learners to understand the meaning and usage of this word in order to communicate effectively in Chinese.