(shì)

HSK 7-94 strokes
Readingsshìzhī

(bound form) family name

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
shì / zhī
Meaning
(bound form) family name; surname (as in 王氏[Wang2 shi4] "the Wang clan"); (bound form) maiden name; née (as in 李王氏[Li3 Wang2 shi4] "Mrs. Li, née Wang"); (bound form) honorific suffix added to the surname or full name of a notable person, esp. historical or scholarly figures
Strokes
4
HSK level
HSK 7-9
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Ideograph

A person bowing down

A combination of parts whose meanings add up to the whole.

How to write step by step

4 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Words with

Common words using — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

xìngshì
HSK 7-9

family name

Open 姓氏 page →
HSK 7-9

°C (degrees Celsius)

Open 摄氏度 page →
hēngshì

Heinz (name); Heinz, US food processing company

Open 亨氏 page →
rénshì

native; person from a particular place

Open 人氏 page →
yuánshì

see 元氏县

Open 元氏 page →

Yuanshi, a county in Shijiazhuang City 石家庄市, Hebei

Open 元氏县 page →

Weishi, a county in Kaifeng City 开封市, Henan

Open 尉氏县 page →
shèshì

Celsius; centigrade

Open 摄氏 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 氏?

Trace 氏 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.