身 meaning and stroke order
Body, torso; person; pregnancy
How to write 身, 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 身
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- body
- life
- oneself
- personally
- one's morality and conduct
- the main part of a structure or body
How 身 is built
Pictographic character. A pregnant woman.
How to remember 身
身 (shēn) is a picture of a pregnant woman seen from the side, with the round belly sticking out. Think of the body carrying new life, and you have the meaning "body."
身 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in words like 身体 (shēntǐ, body; health), 身边 (shēnbiān, at one's side) and 身份证 (shēnfènzhèng, ID card). Example: 你身体好吗？ (Nǐ shēntǐ hǎo ma?) How is your health?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 身 (shēn) with 自 (zì, self) because both relate to "oneself." Also watch the stroke shape: the long slanting stroke at the bottom left and the extra stroke on the right make it different from 射 (shè), where 身 is only the left part.
Common words with 身
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 身上 | shēnshang | on the body; at hand | HSK 1 |
| 身体 | shēntǐ | the body; one's health | HSK 1 |
| 身边 | shēnbiān | at one's side; on hand | HSK 2 |
| 全身 | quánshēn | the whole body; (typography) em | HSK 2 |
| 身份证 | shēnfènzhèng | identity card; ID | HSK 3 |
| 自身 | zìshēn | itself; oneself | HSK 3 |
| 身份 | shēnfèn | identity; aspect of one's identity (e.g. mayor, father, permanent resident); role; capacit | HSK 4 |
| 转身 | zhuǎnshēn | (of a person) to turn round; to face about | HSK 4 |
| 身材 | shēncái | stature; build (height and weight) | HSK 4 |
| 健身 | jiànshēn | to exercise; to keep fit | HSK 4 |
| 身高 | shēngāo | (a person's) height | HSK 4 |
| 一身 | yīshēn | whole body; from head to toe | HSK 5 |
| 终身 | zhōngshēn | lifelong; all one's life | HSK 5 |
| 本身 | běnshēn | itself; in itself | HSK 6 |
身 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 身
Learning 身 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 身
How many strokes are in 身?
身 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 身 mean?
身 (shēn) means body, torso; person; pregnancy. A common word with it is 身上 (shēnshang), meaning "on the body; at hand".
How do you pronounce 身?
身 is pronounced shēn, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 身 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 身 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 身上 and 身体?
身体 (shēntǐ) means the body as a whole, and it often means health. 身上 (shēnshang) means "on the body" or "on one's person," as in 我身上没有钱 (Wǒ shēnshang méiyǒu qián), I have no money on me.
Does 身 mean pregnancy in modern Chinese?
Only in set phrases. People say 有身孕 (yǒu shēnyùn), to be pregnant, but in everyday speech 怀孕 (huáiyùn) is the normal word.