识 meaning and stroke order
To know; knowledge; Taiwan pr. [shi4]
How to write 识, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 识
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to know
- knowledge
- Taiwan pr. [shi4]
- to record
- to write a footnote
How 识 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 只 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 识
识 combines the speech radical 讠 with 只 (zhǐ), which gives the sound. Picture recognizing someone the moment they speak: their words tell you who they are, so 识 means to know or recognize.
识 rarely stands alone in modern speech and usually appears in words like 认识 (rènshi, to know someone) and 知识 (zhīshi, knowledge). Example: 很高兴认识你。(Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.) Nice to meet you.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 识 with 织 (zhī, to weave), which has the same 只 part but the silk radical 纟 instead of 讠. Also note that in 认识 and 知识 the 识 is usually said in the neutral tone, not a full second tone.
Common words with 识
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 认识 | rènshi | to know; to recognize | HSK 1 |
| 知识 | zhīshi | knowledge; intellectual | HSK 1 |
| 常识 | chángshí | common sense; general knowledge | HSK 4 |
| 意识 | yìshí | consciousness; awareness; (usu. followed by 到[dao4]) to be aware of; to realize | HSK 5 |
| 识字 | shízì | to learn to read; able to read; literate | HSK 6 |
| 见识 | jiànshi | to gain first-hand knowledge of sth; to experience for oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 识别 | shíbié | to distinguish; to discern; to identify; to recognize | HSK 7-9 |
| 相识 | xiāngshí | to get to know each other; acquaintance | HSK 7-9 |
| 共识 | gòngshí | common understanding; consensus | HSK 7-9 |
| 结识 | jiéshí | to get to know sb; to meet sb for the first time | HSK 7-9 |
| 知识分子 | zhīshi fènzǐ | intellectual; intelligentsia | HSK 7-9 |
| 似曾相识 | sìcéng-xiāngshí | déjà vu (the experience of seeing exactly the same situation a second time); seemingly fam | HSK 7-9 |
| 下意识 | xiàyìshí | subconscious mind | HSK 7-9 |
| 素不相识 | sùbùxiāngshí | to be total strangers (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
识 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 识
How many strokes are in 识?
识 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 识 mean?
识 (shí) means to know; knowledge; Taiwan pr. [shi4]. A common word with it is 认识 (rènshi), meaning "to know; to recognize".
How do you pronounce 识?
识 is pronounced shí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 识?
The radical of 识 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 识 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 识?
The traditional form of 识 is 識. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 识 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 识 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 识 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 认识 and 知道?
认识 means to know a person, a place, or a character through familiarity or recognition. 知道 means to know a fact or piece of information. You say 我认识他 (I know him) but 我知道他的名字 (I know his name).
Does 识 have another pronunciation?
Yes, in literary use it can be read zhì, meaning to record or to write a note, as in old texts. In everyday modern Chinese you will almost always read it as shí. Speakers in Taiwan may also pronounce it shì.