The character 士 — “scholar”: how to write it and what it means
scholar, warrior
The Chinese character 士 is read shì and means “scholar, warrior”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 士
士 has 3 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 士, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 士
- 女士Ms., madamHSK 1
- 男士gentleman (polite)HSK 4
- 护士nurseHSK 4
- 硕士master's degreeHSK 4
- 博士doctorate (PhD)HSK 4
- 士兵soldier, privateHSK 6
- 人士figure, personage (circles)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 士?
士 has 3 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 士 mean?
士 means “scholar, warrior”. It appears in 女士 (“Ms.”), 男士 (“gentleman”), 护士 (“nurse”), 硕士 (“master's degree”).
How do you pronounce 士?
士 is read shì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 士 have?
3 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 士 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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