Meaning of 历史
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- history
Measure word: 門|门,段
How to use 历史
历史 (lìshǐ) is a common noun for history, both the past itself and the school subject. It also describes how long something has existed. Example: 这座城市有两千年的历史。(Zhè zuò chéngshì yǒu liǎng qiān nián de lìshǐ.) This city has a history of two thousand years.
历 (lì) means something you have gone through, as in 经历 (jīnglì) experience, and 史 (shǐ) means recorded history, as in 史无前例 (shǐwúqiánlì) unprecedented in history. Put them together: what people have gone through, written down, is 历史 (lìshǐ) history.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 历 (lì) with 厉 (lì, as in 厉害 lìhai). They look alike and sound the same, but 历 has 力 inside while 厉 has 万 inside. Also keep the tones straight: 历史 is fourth tone then third tone, lìshǐ.
历史 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
历 lì · history · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
史 shǐ · history · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 历史.
| 经历 | jīnglì | to experience; to go through; experience (CL:段[duan4],次[ci4]) |
| 简历 | jiǎnlì | curriculum vitae (CV); résumé |
| 日历 | rìlì | calendar |
| 历经 | lìjīng | to experience; to go through |
| 学历 | xuélì | educational background; academic qualifications |
| 史无前例 | shǐwúqiánlì | (idiom) unprecedented in history |
| 来历 | láilì | history; antecedents |
| 资历 | zīlì | qualifications; experience |
| 历程 | lìchéng | course; process |
| 历时 | lìshí | to last; to take (time) |
| 阅历 | yuèlì | to experience; experience |
| 历届 | lìjiè | all previous (meetings, sessions etc) |
Questions about 历史
What does 历史 mean?
历史 (lìshǐ) means "history" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 历史?
历史 is made of 2 characters: 历 (4 strokes), 史 (5 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 历史 an HSK word?
Yes. 历史 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 历史 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 历史 is written 歷史.
How do I say 'history class' or 'history major' in Chinese?
A history class is 历史课 (lìshǐ kè). A history major is 历史专业 (lìshǐ zhuānyè), and a historian is 历史学家 (lìshǐ xuéjiā).
Can 历史 describe a person's past record?
Yes, in some contexts it can refer to someone's past record or background. For a personal life story, though, 经历 (jīnglì) is more natural, and for a written work history you would use 简历 (jiǎnlì).