迟

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late; delayed; slow

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

辶 meaning “walk” + 尺 sound ( chǐ )

Components 辶尺

tardy · Heisig RSH #2139

flag + eyedropper + road

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
说时迟，那时快	shuō shí chí , nà shí kuài	(idiom) no sooner said than done; before you know it
船到江心，补漏迟	chuán dào jiāng xīn , bǔ lòu chí	It's too late to plug the leak once ship is in the middle of the river. (idiom)
出来混迟早要还的	chū lái hùn chí zǎo yào huán de	if you live a life of crime, sooner or later you'll pay for it
迟发性损伤	chí fā xìng sǔn shāng	delayed lesion
事不宜迟	shì bù yí chí	the matter should not be delayed; there's no time to lose
迟交	chí jiāo	to delay handing over (payment, homework etc)
毫不迟疑	háo bù chí yí	without the slightest hesitation
迟了	chí le	late
迟到	chí dào	to arrive late
推迟	tuī chí	to postpone; to put off; to defer
差迟	chā chí	variant of 差池[cha1 chi2]
迟滞现象	chí zhì xiàn xiàng	hysteresis
迟早	chí zǎo	sooner or later
迟顿	chí dùn	inactive; obtuse
至迟	zhì chí	at the latest
迟浩田	Chí Hào tián	Chi Haotian (1929-), Chinese Minister of National Defense 1993-2003
延迟	yán chí	to delay; to postpone; to keep putting sth off; to procrastinate; (computing) to lag
迟延	chí yán	to delay
迟疑	chí yí	to hesitate
迟慢	chí màn	slow; late

Characters sharing the sound component 尺 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
尺 sound part	chǐ	ruler, tape-measure; unit of length, about 1 ft.
呎	chǐ	foot