The character 识 — “know”: how to write it and what it means

识
shí

know, recognize

7 strokes · HSK 1 · word page

The Chinese character 识 is read shí and means “know, recognize”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 识

识 has 7 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 识, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 识 is made of

In 认识 “to know someone” it is read with the neutral tone: shi.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 识

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 识?

识 has 7 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 识 mean?

识 means “know, recognize”. It appears in 认识 (“know”), 知识 (“knowledge”), 常识 (“common sense”), 意识 (“consciousness”).

How do you pronounce 识?

识 is read shí. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 识 have?

7 strokes.

← 认 recognize高 tall →

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 识 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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