乙

See also: 己, 之, Z, and ㇠

乙 U+4E59, 乙 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E59 ← 乘 [U+4E58] CJK Unified Ideographs 乚 → [U+4E5A]

⼄ U+2F04, ⼄ KANGXI RADICAL SECOND ← ⼃ [U+2F03] Kangxi Radicals ⼅ → [U+2F05]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

Stroke order

See images of
Radical 5 乙

乙 (Kangxi radical 5, 乙+0, 1 stroke, cangjie input 弓山 (NU), four-corner 1771₀)

1. Kangxi radical #5, ⼄.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/乙
• 亿, 忆, 㲸, 肊, 䎲, 釔(钇), 鳦, 氹, 艺, 朰, 戹, 穵

Additional Derived Characters

• 𫤾, 𠮙, 𫭖, 𫰆, 𡴭, 𢒼, 𢩧, 𣄻, 𣎷, 𪵖, 𤓱, 𥘆, 𥝎, 𬖋, 𦨇, 𧈝, 𮚲, 𮛁, 𬨖, 𪐘
• 𠫕, 𠮞, 𣄽, 𢖮, 𧰦, 𫚮, 𪸍, 𠀂, 𠧒, 𡴯, 𢩥, 𩁶, 𫘸, 𤴥, 𬸺, 𡆠

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 83, character 15
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 161
• Dae Jaweon: page 167, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 47, character 4
• Unihan data for U+4E59

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 乙
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j29982 j29983 j29984 j29985 j29986 j29987 j29988 j29989 j29990 j29991 j29992 j29993 j29994 j29995 j29996 j29997 j29998 j29999 j30000 j30001 j30002 j30003 j30004 j30005 j30006 j30007 j30008 j30009 j30010 j30011 j30012 j30013 j30014 j30015 j30016 j30017 j30018 j30019 j30020 j30021 j30022 j30023 j30024 j30025 j30026 j30027 j30028 j30029 j30030 j30031 j30032 j30033 j30034 j30035 j30036 j30037 j30038 j30039 j30040 j30041 j30042 j30043 j30044 j30045 j30046 j30047 j30048 j30049 j30050 j30051 j30052 j30053 j30054 j30055 j30056 j30057 j30058 j30059 j30060 j30061 j30062 j30063 j30064 j30065 j30066 j30067 j30068 j30069 j30070 j30071 j30072 Bronze inscriptions b20226 b20227 b20228 b20229 b20230 b20231 b20232 b20233 b20234 b20235 b20236 b20237 b20238 b20239 b20240 b20241 b20242 b20243 b20244 b20245 b20246 b20247 b20248 b20249 b20250 b20251 b20252 b20253 b20254 b20255 b20256 b20257 b20258 b20259 b20260 b20261 b20262 b20263 Small seal script s10940 Transcribed ancient scripts L26039 L26040 L26041 L26042 L26043 L26044 L26045 L26046 L26047 L26048 L26049
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (乙) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
劜	*qreːd
札	*sqriːd
扎	*sqriːd
蚻	*ʔsriːd
紮	*ʔsriːd
軋	*qriːd
圠	*qriːd
穵	*qriːd, *qʷriːd
挖	*qʷriːd
鳦	*qriːd, *qrid
耴	*ŋrid, *teb
乙	*qriɡ
肊	*qrɯɡ

Unknown. Different ancient texts propose different origins.

• Pictogram (象形) – a developing plant (Shuowen).
• Pictogram (象形) – the intestine of a fish (Erya).
• Pictogram (象形) – the gill bone of a fish (Liji Zhengyi (《禮記正義》)

The character should not be confused with 𠃉 > 鳦.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		乙

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): yǐ (yi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): yi³

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyut³ / jyut⁶

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): yet / yat

  (Meixian, Guangdong): yad⁵

• Northern Min (KCR): ĭ
• Eastern Min (BUC): ék
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ih⁶
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): it

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ig⁴

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁷iq

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ
    • Wade–Giles: i³
    • Yale: yǐ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii
    • Palladius: и (i)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: yi³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: i
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jyut³ / jyut⁶
    • Yale: yut / yuht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jyt⁸ / jyt⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yud³ / yud⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyːt̚³/, /jyːt̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yet
    • Hakka Romanization System: ied^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yad⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /i̯et̚²/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yat
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)iad^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yad⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯at̚²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: yad⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /iat̚¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ék
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɛiʔ²⁴/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ih⁶
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ih
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iʔ²¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ih⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iʔ²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: it
    • Tâi-lô: it
    • Phofsit Daibuun: id
    • IPA (Xiamen): /it̚³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /it̚⁵/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /it̚³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /it̚³²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /it̚³²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ig⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ik
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ik̚²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁷iq
    • MiniDict: ih^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴iq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /iɪʔ⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: 'it

Rime
Character	乙
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	質 (49)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於筆切
Baxter	'it
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔjit̚/
Li Rong	/ʔjĕt̚/
Wang Li	/ĭĕt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jat1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*qrət/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qriɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	乙
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔit ›
Old Chinese	/*qrət/
English	2nd heavenly stem
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	乙
Reading #	1/1
No.	14921
Phonetic component	乙
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	乙
Old Chinese	/*qriɡ/
Notes	甲乙字收ɡ尾與燕乙字收d尾小分部有異

Definitions

乙

1. The second of the ten heavenly stems (天干 (tiāngān))
2. second; 2; B; II; beta (used for unnamed people or objects, to enumerate headings in a list, for grades, etc.)

   路人甲和路人乙  ―  lùrén jiǎ hé lùrén yǐ  ―  passerby A and passerby B

   他法語成績得了乙。 [MSC, trad.]
   他法语成绩得了乙。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā fǎyǔ chéngjì dé le yǐ. [Pinyin]

   He got a B in French.

   乙肝  ―  yǐgān  ―  hepatitis B

3. (organic chemistry) eth-; ethyl

   乙烷  ―  yǐwán  ―  ethane

4. (literary, formal) one

   （公文）……加乙份。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   (gōngwén)...... Jiā yǐ fèn. [Pinyin]

   (In official letters) …added one copy.

   於本店消費滿五百元，即可獲贈優惠券乙張。 [MSC, trad.]
   于本店消费满五百元，即可获赠优惠券乙张。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yú běn diàn xiāofèi mǎn wǔbǎi yuán, jí kě huò zèng yōuhuìquàn yǐ zhāng. [Pinyin]

   Customers spending more than 500 dollars may obtain a coupon.

5. a surname
6. (Cantonese) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}. (Classifier: 隻／只 c)
   • 2023, 5m30s from the start, in 笑满岭南七十载：专访第三届广东文艺终身成就奖获得者黄俊英‎:

     噉我52年入去珠江粵劇團嘅時候，一隻乙噉㗎咋喎。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     噉我52年入去珠江粤剧团嘅时候，一只乙噉㗎咋㖞。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     gam² ngo⁵ ng⁵ ji⁶ nin⁴ jap⁶ heoi³ zyu¹ gong¹ jyut⁶ kek⁶ tyun⁴ ge³ si⁴ hau⁶, jat¹ zek³ jyut³ gam² gaa³ zaa³ wo³. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Coordinate terms

• (Chinese heavenly stems) 天干 (tiāngān); 甲 (jiǎ), 乙 (yǐ), 丙 (bǐng), 丁 (dīng), 戊 (wù), 己 (jǐ), 庚 (gēng), 辛 (xīn), 壬 (rén), 癸 (guǐ) ^{(Category: zh:Chinese heavenly stems)}

Compounds

• 三氯乙烷
• 三氯乙烯 (sānlǜyǐxī)
• 丹鉛甲乙 / 丹铅甲乙
• 丹黃甲乙 / 丹黄甲乙
• 乙乙
• 乙力
• 乙士
• 乙夜 (yǐyè)
• 乙字庫 / 乙字库
• 乙帳 / 乙帐
• 乙干
• 乙弗
• 乙旃
• 乙更
• 乙榜
• 乙正
• 乙炔 (yǐquē)
• 乙烯 (yǐxī)
• 乙烷 (yǐwán)
• 乙科
• 乙第
• 乙等特考
• 乙腦 / 乙脑 (yǐnǎo)
• 乙覽 / 乙览
• 乙速孤
• 乙選 / 乙选
• 乙部
• 乙酸 (yǐsuān)
• 乙醇 (yǐchún)
• 乙醛 (yǐquán)
• 乙醚 (yǐmí)
• 乙鳥 / 乙鸟
• 令乙
• 勾乙 (gōuyǐ)
• 厶乙
• 圖乙 / 图乙
• 塗乙 / 涂乙
• 天乙
• 太乙
• 太乙壇 / 太乙坛
• 太乙宮 / 太乙宫
• 太乙數 / 太乙数
• 太乙爐 / 太乙炉
• 太乙神針 / 太乙神针
• 太乙舟
• 孔乙己
• 小乙
• 左乙
• 張甲李乙 / 张甲李乙
• 某乙
• 氯乙烯 (lǜyǐxī)
• 泰乙
• 獨乙 / 独乙
• 玄乙
• 甲乙
• 甲乙問 / 甲乙问
• 甲乙帳 / 甲乙帐
• 甲乙科
• 甲乙膏
• 白乙
• 聚乙烯 (jùyǐxī)
• 聚苯乙烯 (jùběnyǐxī)
• 苯乙烯 (běnyǐxī)
• 越鳧楚乙 / 越凫楚乙 (yuèfúchǔyǐ)
• 面乙
• 飛乙 / 飞乙
• 魚乙 / 鱼乙
• 鳧乙 / 凫乙
• 鴻乙滿紙 / 鸿乙满纸

Descendants

• → Zhuang: iet

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		乙

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 乙(おつ) (otsu).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐ (yi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ
    • Wade–Giles: i³
    • Yale: yǐ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii
    • Palladius: и (i)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴/

Definitions

乙

1. (ACG, sometimes sarcastic) thank you for the hard work in (doing something)

   自演乙  ―  zìyǎn yǐ  ―  (sarcastically) thank you for your hard work in staging this "drama"

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.		乙

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐ (yi³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ji¹ / ji⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ
    • Wade–Giles: i³
    • Yale: yǐ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii
    • Palladius: и (i)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ji¹ / ji⁶
    • Yale: yī / yih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji¹ / ji⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi¹ / yi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː⁵⁵/, /jiː²²/

Definitions

乙

1. (music) Kunqu gongche notation for the note ti (7).

   Synonym: 𢒼 (yǐ) (Cantonese opera)

2. (music) Cantonese opera gongche notation for the note low ti (7̣).

   Synonym: 一 (Kunqu)

Derived terms

• 亿 (yǐ)
• 𢒼 (yǐ)

Etymology 4

From 笏.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): fat¹ / wat¹

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: fat¹ / wat¹
    • Yale: fāt / wāt
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fat⁷ / wat⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: fed¹ / wed¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɐt̚⁵/, /wɐt̚⁵/

Definitions

乙

1. (Cantonese) only used in 山雞乙／山鸡乙 (a place in Hong Kong)