In traditional Chinese culture, qi (氣 / 气; Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i4 Jyutping hei; Korean gi; Japanese ki; Vietnamese khí; pronounced [tɕʰi˥˩] in Standard Mandarin) is an active principle forming part of any living thing.
It is frequently translated as "energy flow," and is often compared to Western notions of energeia or élan vital (vitalism) as well as the yogic notion of prana. The literal translation is "air," "breath," or "gas" (compare the original meaning of Latin spiritus "breathing"; or the Common Greek πνεῦμα, meaning "air," "breath," or "spirit"; and the Sanskrit term prana, "breath" ).
