申 meaning and stroke order
To report; to extend; to explain; to declare
How to write 申, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 申
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to extend
- to state
- to explain
- 9th earthly branch: 3-5 p.m., 7th solar month (7th August-7th September), year of the Monkey
- ancient Chinese compass point: 240°
How 申 is built
Pictographic character. A bolt of lightning.
Radical: 田 (field), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 申
申 is a picture of a bolt of lightning: a long vertical stroke 丨 shooting straight through 日. Think of lightning stretching across the sky to remember the sense of extending and making something known.
Today 申 almost always appears in compounds about formally stating or applying for something, such as 申请 (shēnqǐng, to apply) and 申报 (shēnbào, to declare). Example: 我想申请签证。(Wǒ xiǎng shēnqǐng qiānzhèng.) I want to apply for a visa.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 申 with 甲 (jiǎ) and 由 (yóu). In 申 the vertical stroke sticks out both top and bottom, in 甲 it only sticks out below, and in 由 it only sticks out above.
Common words with 申
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 申请 | shēnqǐng | to apply for sth; application form (CL:份[fen4]) | HSK 4 |
| 重申 | chóngshēn | to reaffirm; to reiterate | HSK 7-9 |
| 申报 | shēnbào | to report (to the authorities); to declare (to customs) | HSK 7-9 |
| 申办 | shēnbàn | to apply for; to bid for | HSK 7-9 |
| 申领 | shēnlǐng | to apply (for license, visa etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 申请表 | shēnqǐngbiǎo | application form | |
| 申诉 | shēnsù | to file a complaint; to appeal (to an authority, a higher court of justice etc) | |
| 申请书 | shēnqǐngshū | application; application form | |
| 申辩 | shēnbiàn | to defend oneself; to rebut a charge | |
| 申明 | shēnmíng | to declare; to aver |
申 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 申
Learning 申 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 申
How many strokes are in 申?
申 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 申 mean?
申 (shēn) means to report; to extend; to explain; to declare. A common word with it is 申请 (shēnqǐng), meaning "to apply for sth; application form (CL:份[fen4])".
How do you pronounce 申?
申 is pronounced shēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 申?
The radical of 申 is 田, which carries the idea of "field". Dictionaries list 申 under this radical.
Is 申 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 申 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why is 申 associated with the Monkey?
申 is the 9th of the twelve earthly branches, and that branch is paired with the Monkey in the zodiac. It also marks the time from 3 to 5 p.m.
Is 申 used as a name for Shanghai?
Yes. 申 (shēn) is a common short name for Shanghai, seen in names like 申城 (Shēnchéng). You will see it in newspaper titles and local business names.