The character 氏 — “clan”: how to write it and what it means
clan, surname
The Chinese character 氏 is read shì and means “clan, surname”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 氏
氏 has 4 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 氏, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 氏 is made of
It goes after a surname: “Mr. So-and-so”. 摄氏度 — “Mr. She's degree”, that is, Celsius.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 氏
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 氏?
氏 has 4 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 氏 mean?
氏 means “clan, surname”. It appears in 摄氏度 (“degree Celsius”).
How do you pronounce 氏?
氏 is read shì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 氏 have?
4 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 氏 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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