记号

• Pinyin: jì hao
• Hanzi breakdown: 记 = 讠+ 己 (speech + self — to record); 号 = 口 + 丂 (mouth + exhale — mark/name)

Meaning

A mark; a sign; a symbol used to indicate or remember something. A physical or written marker.

Used broadly for any kind of marking — from a pencil note in a book to a notch cut in wood as a reminder. Distinct from 符号 (formal symbol system) — 记号 is more informal and personal.

Examples

1. 她在书页上做了一个记号，方便下次找到。 She made a mark on the page so she could find it easily next time.
2. 工人在墙上用粉笔做了记号，标出了需要修补的位置。 The worker made a chalk mark on the wall, indicating the spot that needed repair.
3. 这块石头上的记号是古人留下的路标。 The mark on this stone is a trail sign left by people long ago.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, education, navigation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 田野考古调查期间，研究人员会在采集到的标本上用防水笔标注记号，同时对应录入采集地点的坐标数据，以防后续整理时出现混淆。(During field archaeological surveys, researchers mark specimens with waterproof pens while simultaneously recording the coordinates of the collection site, so as to prevent confusion during subsequent sorting.)
• 老木匠在切割之前总要先在木料上做好记号，他说这个习惯让他四十年来从未在材料上犯过重复的错误。(The old carpenter always marks the timber before cutting; he says this habit has prevented him from making the same mistake on materials in forty years of work.)

Don't Say

• 记号 is informal/personal; use 标记 in technical/professional contexts (e.g., 标记基因, 标记文件) and 符号 for formal symbol systems

Origin & History

记 (to record/note) + 号 (mark/sign)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal