Chi (hiragana: ち, katakana: チ) is one of the Japanese kana, which each represent one mora. Both are phonemically , reflected in the Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization ti, although, for phonological reasons, the actual pronunciation is , which is reflected in the Hepburn romanization chi.
The kanji for one thousand (千, sen), appears similar to チ, and at one time they were related, but today チ is used as phonetic, while the kanji carries an entirely unrelated meaning.
Many onomatopoeic words beginning with ち pertain to things that are small or quick.Hiroko Fukuda, Jazz Up Your Japanese with Onomatopoeia: For All Levels, trans. Tom Gally. New York: Kodansha International (2003): 19 - 20, Introduction, Words Beginning with ち Chi, Indicating Smallness or Quickness.
The dakuten forms ぢ, ヂ, are uncommon. They are primarily used for indicating a voiced consonant in the middle of a compound word (see rendaku), and they don't usually begin a word. The dakuten form of the shi character is sometimes used when transliterating "di", as opposed to チ's dakuten form; for example, Aladdin is written as アラジン Arajin, and radio is written as ラジオ. It is, however, more common to use ディ instead, such as ディオン to translate the name Dion.
In the Ainu language, チ by itself is pronounced , and can be combined with the katakana ヤ, ユ, エ, and ヨ to write the other sounds. The combination チェ (pronounced ), is interchangeable with セ゚. FormRōmajiHiraganaKatakanaNormal ch-/t-(た行 ta-gyō)chiちチchii, chyichīちい, ちぃちーチイ, チィチーAddition yōon ch-/ty-(ちゃ行 cha-gyō)chaちゃチャchaachāちゃあ, ちゃぁちゃーチャア, チャァチャーchuちゅチュchuu, chwuchūちゅう, ちゅぅちゅーチュウ, チュゥチューchoちょチョchouchoochōちょう, ちょぅちょお, ちょぉちょーチョウ, チョゥチョオ, チョォチョーAddition dakuten d-/j-(だ行 da-gyō)jiぢヂjii, jyijīぢい, ぢぃぢーヂイ, ヂィヂーAddition yōon and dakuten dy-/j-(ぢゃ行 dya-gyō)jaぢゃヂャjaajāぢゃあ, ぢゃぁぢゃーヂャア, ヂャァヂャーjuぢゅヂュjuu, jwujūぢゅう, ぢゅぅぢゅーヂュウ, ヂュゥヂューjoぢょヂョjoujoojōぢょう, ぢょぅぢょお, ぢょぉぢょーヂョウ, ヂョゥヂョオ, ヂョォヂョー
Other additional forms+Form A (ch-/chw-)RomajiHiraganaKatakana(cha)(ちゃ)(チャ)(chyi)(ちぃ)(チィ)(chu)(ちゅ)(チュ)checheicheechēちぇちぇい, ちぇぃちぇえちぇーチェチェイ, チェィチェエチェー(cho)(ちょ)(チョ)chwaちゅぁ, ちゎチュァ, チヮchwiちゅぃチュィ(chwu)(ちゅぅ)(チュゥ)chweちゅぇチュェchwoちゅぉチュォ+Form B (dy-/j-/jw-)RomajiHiraganaKatakana(dya, ja)(ぢゃ)(ヂャ)(dyi, jyi)(ぢぃ)(ヂィ)(dyu, ju)(ぢゅ)(ヂュ)dye, jedyei, jeidyee, jeedyē, jēぢぇぢぇい, ぢぇぃぢぇえぢぇーヂェヂェイ, ヂェィヂェエヂェー(dyo, jo)(ぢょ)(ヂョ)jwaぢゅぁ, ぢゎヂュァ, ヂヮjwiぢゅぃヂュィ(jwu)(ぢゅぅ)(ヂュゥ)jweぢゅぇヂュェjwoぢゅぉヂュォ
Stroke order
Other communicative representations
Braille forms ち / チ in Japanese Braille Ch/J/Dy + Yōon braille ち / チ chi ぢ / ヂ ji/di ちい / チー chī ぢい / ヂー jī/dī ちゃ / チャ cha ぢゃ / ヂャ ja/dya ちゃあ / チャー chā ぢゃあ / ヂャー jā/dya Ch/J/Dy + Yōon braille ちゅ / チュ chu ぢゅ / ヂュ ju/dyu ちゅう / チュー chū ぢゅう / ヂュー jū/dyū ちょ / チョ cho ぢょ / ヂョ jo/dyo ちょう / チョー chō ぢょう / ヂョー jō/dyō
Computer encodings
See also Shi (kana) Hepburn romanization Kunrei-shiki romanization
References