石 meaning and stroke order
Stone, rock, mineral
How to write 石, 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 石
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dry measure for grain equal to ten dou 斗[dou3]; one hundred liters
- ancient pr. [shi2]
- rock
- stone
- stone inscription
- one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]
How 石 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A rock 口 at the base of a cliff 厂.
How to remember 石
Picture a cliff 厂 with a rock 口 lying at its base. The square shape is the stone that has fallen from the cliff above.
石 (shí) rarely stands alone in speech. People usually say 石头 (shítou) for a stone, and use 石 inside words like 石油 (shíyóu, oil) and 钻石 (zuànshí, diamond). Example: 这块石头很重。(Zhè kuài shítou hěn zhòng.) This stone is very heavy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 石 with 右 (yòu, right), which has a different top stroke arrangement, so check that 石 starts with a flat horizontal stroke above the slanted cliff. Also note that in 石头 the 头 is usually read in the neutral tone, shítou, not shítóu.
Common words with 石
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 石头 | shítou | stone | HSK 3 |
| 石油 | shíyóu | oil; petroleum | HSK 3 |
| 宝石 | bǎoshí | precious stone; gem | HSK 4 |
| 化石 | huàshí | fossil | HSK 5 |
| 钻石 | zuànshí | diamond | HSK 7-9 |
| 岩石 | yánshí | (geology) rock | HSK 7-9 |
| 陨石 | yǔnshí | meteorite; aerolite | HSK 7-9 |
| 水落石出 | shuǐluò-shíchū | (lit.) as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom); (fig.) the truth comes to light | HSK 7-9 |
| 礁石 | jiāoshí | reef | HSK 7-9 |
| 石板 | shíbǎn | slab; flagstone | |
| 石膏 | shígāo | gypsum CaSO4·2(H2O); plaster | |
| 巨石 | jùshí | huge rock; boulder; monolith | |
| 大理石 | dàlǐshí | marble | |
| 红宝石 | hóngbǎoshí | ruby |
石 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 石
Learning 石 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 石
How many strokes are in 石?
石 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 石 mean?
石 (shí) means stone, rock, mineral. A common word with it is 石头 (shítou), meaning "stone".
How do you pronounce 石?
石 is pronounced shí, in the second tone (rising).
Is 石 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 石 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why is 石 sometimes read dàn?
As dàn, 石 is an old unit of dry measure for grain, equal to ten 斗 (dǒu). You will mostly see it in classical texts or historical contexts, not in daily conversation.
What does the idiom 水落石出 mean?
水落石出 (shuǐluò-shíchū) literally means that when the water goes down, the rocks appear. It is used to say the truth has finally come out, for example after an investigation.