The character 身 — “body”: how to write it and what it means
body
The Chinese character 身 is read shēn and means “body”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 身
身 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 身, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 身
- 身体body; healthHSK 2
- 身高height (in numbers)HSK 3
- 身边by one's sideHSK 3
- 全身whole bodyHSK 4
- 健身work out (fitness)HSK 4
- 健身房gymHSK 4
- 身份证ID cardHSK 4
- 身份status, identityHSK 5
- 身材figure, buildHSK 5
- 自身oneself, ownHSK 5
- 终身lifelong, for lifeHSK 6
- 身心body and mindHSK 6
- 一身the whole body; a suit of clothesHSK 6
- 转身turn aroundHSK 6
- 本身itself, as suchHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 身?
身 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 身 mean?
身 means “body”. It appears in 身体 (“body”), 身高 (“height”), 身边 (“by one's side”), 全身 (“whole body”).
How do you pronounce 身?
身 is read shēn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 身 have?
7 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 身 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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