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# chi

noun (chi — the Greek letter; chi or qi — Chinese idea); (Mandarin, pinyin) chī, "to eat"

«chi» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written χ, said "kye" (rhymes with "sky"). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#m1)
2. (Chinese tradition) Also spelled qi: in Chinese belief, a life energy said to flow through the body and nature, used in tai chi, kung fu and traditional medicine. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#m2)
3. (Mandarin, pinyin) chī means "to eat", as in chī fàn, "eat a meal". It sounds like "chir" to an English ear and is not an English word. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#m3)

### In the lessons

In maths and science the Greek letter χ appears in statistics (the chi-squared test). In PE and culture lessons, tai chi is a slow exercise from China. In Mandarin on the street, "chī fàn le ma?" means "Have you eaten?", a friendly greeting. Phrases: "tai chi", "chi-squared".

### Examples

- Grandma does tai chi in the park every morning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x1)
- Chi is the Greek letter that looks like an x. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x2)
- Some people believe chi flows through the body. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x3)
- In Mandarin, chī means "to eat". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x4)
- My friend said "chī fàn le ma?" to his grandad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x5)
- Scientists say there is no proof that chi exists as a real energy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/#x6)

### Note

Pronounced "kye" for the Greek letter and "chee" for the Chinese energy (qi). "Qi" is the official pinyin spelling of the energy word. Saying "chi" is a belief in Chinese tradition, not a scientific fact. The Greek χ is not the English letter x.

## In Jewish tradition

In Westcott's note, Chi is the Hebrew word for "living" or "life," and Chiim is its plural. It appears in the divine name El Chai, "the Living God."

**Interpretation.** Tradition calls God the Living God, the source of all life. Westcott also reads the plural Elohim Chiim as "living ones," which is his own reading and not the usual one.

### Examples

- Chiim, is the plural of Chi — living, or life. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/chi/#x1)
- AL ChI H OULMIM; ''the Living God of Ages," here the word God really is in the singular. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/chi/#x2)

### Note

Pronounced "kye" for the Greek letter and "chee" for the Chinese energy (qi). "Qi" is the official pinyin spelling of the energy word. Saying "chi" is a belief in Chinese tradition, not a scientific fact. The Greek χ is not the English letter x.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «chi» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chi/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«chi» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/chi.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «chi» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/chi/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«chi» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/chi.html) on Mova free.