Meaning of 常识
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- common sense; general knowledge
How to use 常识
常识 covers both basic common sense and general knowledge about a field, such as 安全常识 (safety knowledge) or 生活常识 (everyday life tips). It often appears with 有 or 没有 to judge someone. Example: 这是基本常识。(Zhè shì jīběn chángshí.) This is basic common sense.
常 (cháng) means ordinary or usual, as in 常常 (chángcháng, often), and 识 (shí) means to know, as in 认识 (rènshi). Put them together and you get the usual things everyone knows: common sense or general knowledge.
Common mistake: Learners often read 识 here as neutral-tone shi because of 知识 (zhīshi) and 认识 (rènshi), but in 常识 it keeps its full second tone: chángshí. Also do not confuse 识 with 只 or 织, which share the 只 part.
常识 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.
常 cháng · always · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
识 shí · to know · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 常识.
| 非常 | fēicháng | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
| 认识 | rènshi | to know; to recognize |
| 常常 | chángcháng | frequently; often |
| 知识 | zhīshi | knowledge; intellectual |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular |
| 经常 | jīngcháng | frequently; constantly; regularly; often; day-to-day; everyday; daily |
| 平常 | píngcháng | ordinary; common |
| 常见 | cháng jiàn | commonly seen; common |
| 常用 | cháng yòng | in common usage |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | regular; usual; normal; usually; normally |
| 日常 | rìcháng | day-to-day; daily; everyday |
| 意识 | yìshí | consciousness; awareness; (usu. followed by 到[dao4]) to be aware of; to realize |
Questions about 常识
What does 常识 mean?
常识 (chángshí) means "common sense; general knowledge" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 常识?
常识 is made of 2 characters: 常 (11 strokes), 识 (7 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 常识 an HSK word?
Yes. 常识 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 常识 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 常识 is written 常識.
What is the difference between 常识 and 知识?
知识 (zhīshi) is knowledge in general, including specialized or academic knowledge. 常识 is the basic knowledge that most people are expected to have, or simple common sense.
How do you say someone has no common sense in Chinese?
You can say 他没有常识 (tā méiyǒu chángshí) or 他缺乏常识 (tā quēfá chángshí). Both can sound critical, so use them carefully when talking about people.