事 meaning and stroke order
Matter; thing; item
How to write 事, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 事
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- matter
- thing
- item
- work
- affair
How 事 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 亅 (hook), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 事
Read 事 from top to bottom: a line 一, a mouth 口, and a hand 彐, all pierced by a vertical hook 亅. Picture one task passing from mouth to hand, held together by a single stroke running through it. Talking about it and handling it is what a matter, or 事 (shì), is.
事 (shì) means a matter, a task, or something that happens. It appears in very common words like 事情 (shìqing, matter), 同事 (tóngshì, colleague), and 故事 (gùshi, story). Example: 我今天有事。 (Wǒ jīntiān yǒu shì.) I have something to do today.
Common mistake: Learners often write the long vertical stroke as two separate pieces, or they stop it at the 口. In 事 the final hook 亅 runs straight down through the whole character. Also note that in 事情 (shìqing) and 故事 (gùshi) the second syllable is usually said with a neutral tone.
Common words with 事
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work | HSK 1 |
| 事情 | shìqing | affair; matter; thing; business | HSK 2 |
| 故事 | gùshi | old practice | HSK 2 |
| 好事 | hǎoshì | good action, deed, thing or work (also sarcastic, "a fine thing indeed"); charity | HSK 2 |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; co-worker | HSK 2 |
| 事实 | shìshí | fact | HSK 3 |
| 事实上 | shìshíshang | in fact; in reality | HSK 3 |
| 事件 | shìjiàn | incident; event | HSK 3 |
| 事业 | shìyè | undertaking; project | HSK 3 |
| 事故 | shìgù | accident | HSK 3 |
| 本事 | běnshi | source material; original story | HSK 3 |
| 从事 | cóngshì | to go for; to engage in | HSK 3 |
| 事物 | shìwù | thing; object | HSK 4 |
| 事先 | shìxiān | in advance; before the event | HSK 4 |
事 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 事
How many strokes are in 事?
事 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 事 mean?
事 (shì) means matter; thing; item. A common word with it is 没事儿 (méishìr), meaning "to have spare time; free from work".
How do you pronounce 事?
事 is pronounced shì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 事?
The radical of 事 is 亅, which carries the idea of "hook". Dictionaries list 事 under this radical.
Is 事 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 事 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What does 没事 (méishì) mean in everyday speech?
It literally means there is no matter. People use it to say it's nothing, no problem, or I'm fine, for example after someone apologizes. It can also mean you are free and have nothing to do.
What is the difference between 事 (shì) and 东西 (dōngxi)?
事 refers to matters, tasks, or events, things that happen or need doing. 东西 refers to physical objects you can hold. So you say 我有事 (I have something to do) but 我买东西 (I'm buying things).