濟

jì

To cross, ferry, or ford water; to help, aid, or relieve.

Meaning

Physical transit: crossing or ferrying across a body of water, specifically implying the overcoming of an aquatic obstacle.
Aid and relief: helping, rescuing, or relieving someone from a predicament.
Completion: finishing or accomplishing a task (analogous to reaching the far bank).

Grammar and usage

Transitivity: Primarily a transitive verb. Objects may be a person (the one aided), a situation (a crisis being resolved), or a body of water (the obstacle being crossed).
Pairing: Frequently appears in parallel with 涉 (shè, to wade/cross), often denoting the navigation of a difficult period or ordeal.

Distinctions

vs. 渡 (dù): While both mean "to cross water," 渡 is more frequently used for neutral physical transit; 濟 often carries connotations of benefit, liberation, or salvation.
vs. 救 (jiù): Whereas 救 suggests a sudden act of saving or "snatching" from danger, 濟 typically implies sustained effort or the process of bringing someone to safety.

History and forms

Simplified variant: 济 (U+6D4E).

Graphical notes

The component 祭 serves as the phonetic element.

Translator notes

Because of the phonetic element 祭 (sacrifice/ritual), be alert for contexts where the act of "crossing" or "saving" carries a weight of solemnity or high stakes.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.