巳 meaning and stroke order
The hours from 9 to 11; 6th terrestrial branch
How to write 巳, stroke by stroke
3 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
Meaning of 巳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- 6th earthly branch: 9-11 a.m., 4th solar month (5th May-5th June), year of the Snake
- ancient Chinese compass point: 150°
How 巳 is built
Components of the character.
How to remember 巳
巳 (sì) looks like a coiled snake with its body closed at the top, and it is the branch for the Year of the Snake. Picture the hook stroke 乚 as the snake's tail curling up to close the loop.
巳 is mainly used in the traditional calendar: the 6th earthly branch, the 巳时 (sìshí) hours from 9 to 11 a.m., and the Snake in the zodiac cycle. You see it in year names like 乙巳年 (yǐsì nián), the Yisi year. Example: 巳时是上午九点到十一点。(Sìshí shì shàngwǔ jiǔ diǎn dào shíyī diǎn.) The Si hour is from 9 to 11 in the morning.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 巳 (sì), 已 (yǐ, already) and 己 (jǐ, self). In 巳 the top is fully closed, in 已 it is half closed, and in 己 it is open.
Characters that contain 巳
Learning 巳 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 巳
How many strokes are in 巳?
巳 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 巳 mean?
巳 (sì) means the hours from 9 to 11; 6th terrestrial branch.
How do you pronounce 巳?
巳 is pronounced sì, in the fourth tone (falling).
Is 巳 used in everyday modern Chinese?
Not often. It appears mostly in calendar terms, zodiac years, fortune telling and historical texts. For the animal itself, people say 蛇 (shé).
How does 巳 fit into the twelve earthly branches?
The branches run 子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥, and 巳 is the sixth. It comes right after 辰 (chén, Dragon) and before 午 (wǔ, Horse).