chee
QI The life force or vital energy that flows through all things in Chinese philosophy and medicine.
11
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
Qi (also spelled chi or ch'i) is the fundamental life force or vital energy that flows through all living things according to Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine. It's believed to circulate through pathways called meridians and is essential for health and vitality.
In traditional Chinese medicine, balanced qi is crucial for good health, while blocked or unbalanced qi leads to illness. Practices like acupuncture, tai chi, and qigong are designed to regulate and enhance qi flow throughout the body.
For Scrabble players, QI is perhaps the most important 2-letter word in the game. It's the only 2-letter Q word in most dictionaries, making it essential for playing Q without U. At 11 points, it's also one of the highest-scoring 2-letter words.
The concept of qi extends beyond medicine into martial arts, feng shui, and Chinese cosmology. Similar concepts exist in other cultures: prana in India, pneuma in ancient Greece, and vitalism in Western philosophy.
The word 'qi' comes from Mandarin Chinese 氣/气, historically romanized in various ways including ch'i, chi, and ki (in Japanese). The character originally depicted steam rising from rice, symbolizing the transformation of matter into energy. The concept dates back over 2,000 years in Chinese philosophy. The spelling 'qi' became standard in English through the Pinyin romanization system adopted in the 1950s.
Words with similar meaning
CHI
Alternative spelling
LIFE FORCE
Vital energy
VITAL ENERGY
Life power
PRANA
Sanskrit equivalent
PNEUMA
Greek equivalent
Words with opposite meaning
STAGNATION
Blocked energy
DEPLETION
Exhausted energy
VOID
Absence of energy
Plural Form
qis
Related Terms
Movement of life energy
Energy cultivation practice
Obstructed energy flow
Develop life force
If you can't play QI, consider these subwords:
"The acupuncturist explained that the treatment would help restore the flow of qi through my body."
"In Scrabble, playing QI on a triple letter score can yield 33 points for just two letters."
"The tai chi master spoke of cultivating qi through mindful movement and breathing."
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Pronunciation
CHEE, not KWEE or KEE
Cultural appropriation
Respectful use in medical/philosophical contexts
Scrabble spelling
Only QI accepted, not CHI
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like QI