The character 师 — “mentor”: how to write it and what it means
mentor, master
The Chinese character 师 is read shī and means “mentor, master”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 师
师 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 师, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 师 is made of
老师 is a “respected mentor”, that is, a teacher.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 师
- 老师teacherHSK 1
- 厨师cook, chefHSK 4
- 教师teacherHSK 4
- 师生teachers and studentsHSK 4
- 师傅master (form of address)HSK 4
- 律师lawyer, attorneyHSK 4
- 工程师engineerHSK 5
- 导师academic advisor, mentorHSK 6
- 师父master, mentor (in a craft)HSK 6
- 大师master, maestroHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 师?
师 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 师 mean?
师 means “mentor, master”. It appears in 老师 (“teacher”), 厨师 (“cook”), 教师 (“teacher”), 师生 (“teachers and students”).
How do you pronounce 师?
师 is read shī. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 师 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 师 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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