师 meaning and stroke order
Teacher, professional, master
How to write 师, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 师
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- teacher
- master
- expert
- model
- army division
- (old) troops
How 师 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To skillfully wield 帀 a knife 刂.
Radical: 巾 (cloth), shared by 53 characters on this site.
How to remember 师
The left side 刂 is a knife, and the right side 帀 shows something being wielded with skill. Someone who can skillfully handle a knife is a master of their craft, the kind of person who becomes a teacher, 师 (shī).
师 rarely stands alone. It usually appears in words for teachers and skilled professionals, and many job titles end in 师, like 律师 (lǜshī, lawyer) and 工程师 (gōngchéngshī, engineer). Example: 我的老师很好。(Wǒ de lǎoshī hěn hǎo.) My teacher is very nice.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 师 (shī) with 帅 (shuài, handsome), which looks almost the same but has no horizontal stroke on top of the right side. Also keep the first tone in 老师 (lǎoshī) and do not let it drop to a neutral tone.
Common words with 师
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 教师 | jiàoshī | teacher | HSK 2 |
| 工程师 | gōngchéngshī | engineer | HSK 3 |
| 律师 | lǜshī | lawyer | HSK 4 |
| 师傅 | shīfu | master; qualified worker | HSK 5 |
| 摄影师 | shèyǐngshī | photographer; cinematographer; cameraman | HSK 5 |
| 师父 | shīfu | used for 師傅|师傅 (in Taiwan); master | HSK 6 |
| 大师 | dàshī | great master; master | HSK 6 |
| 厨师 | chúshī | cook; chef | HSK 6 |
| 设计师 | shèjìshī | designer; architect | HSK 6 |
| 师生 | shīshēng | teachers and students | HSK 6 |
| 导师 | dǎoshī | tutor; teacher | HSK 7-9 |
| 建筑师 | jiànzhùshī | architect | HSK 7-9 |
| 师长 | shīzhǎng | military division level commander; teacher | HSK 7-9 |
师 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 师
Learning 师 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 师
How many strokes are in 师?
师 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 师 mean?
师 (shī) means teacher, professional, master. A common word with it is 老师 (lǎoshī), meaning "teacher".
How do you pronounce 师?
师 is pronounced shī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 师?
The radical of 师 is 巾, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 师 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 师?
The traditional form of 师 is 師. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 师 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 师 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 师 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 is the difference between 师傅 and 师父?
Both are pronounced shīfu. 师傅 is a polite way to address skilled workers like drivers or cooks. 师父 is more for a personal master, such as in martial arts or Buddhism, though in Taiwan it is also used like 师傅.
Can I call someone just 师 instead of 老师?
No, 师 alone is not used as a form of address. Say 老师 (lǎoshī), or put a surname in front, like 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī), Teacher Wang.