诗 meaning and stroke order
Poem; poetry; verse
How to write 诗, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 诗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- poem
- poetry
- verse
How 诗 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 寺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 诗
诗 (shī) combines the speech radical 讠 with 寺 (sì, temple), which gives the sound. Picture words 讠 spoken softly in a quiet temple 寺, shaped into a poem.
诗 usually appears in compounds like 诗人 (shīrén, poet), 诗歌 (shīgē, poem; poetry) and 诗句 (shījù, line of verse). The measure word for a poem is 首 (shǒu). Example: 他写了一首诗。(Tā xiě le yì shǒu shī.) He wrote a poem.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 诗 (shī) with 时 (shí, time), 侍 (shì, to serve) and 持 (chí, to hold), because they all share 寺. Check the left side. Only the speech radical 讠 means poem, and 诗 takes the first tone, not the second.
Common words with 诗
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
诗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 诗
How many strokes are in 诗?
诗 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 诗 mean?
诗 (shī) means poem; poetry; verse. A common word with it is 诗人 (shīrén), meaning "bard; poet".
How do you pronounce 诗?
诗 is pronounced shī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 诗?
The radical of 诗 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 诗 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 诗?
The traditional form of 诗 is 詩. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 诗 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 诗 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 诗 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.
What is the difference between 诗 and 诗歌?
诗 is the basic word for a poem and is often used alone, as in 一首诗. 诗歌 sounds more formal and often refers to poetry as a genre or art form, as in 中国诗歌 (Chinese poetry).
How do you say to recite a poem in Chinese?
You can say 背诗 (bèi shī) for reciting a poem from memory, or 念诗 (niàn shī) for reading a poem aloud. Children in China often learn to 背唐诗 (bèi Tángshī), reciting Tang dynasty poems.