The character 示 — “show”: how to write it and what it means
show
The Chinese character 示 is read shì and means “show”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 示
示 has 5 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 示, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 示 is made of
Originally an altar. On the side of a character it shrinks to 礻: 礼, 社, 祝.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 示
- 表示express, showHSK 4
- 显示display (on screen); indicateHSK 5
- 展示show, displayHSK 5
- 出示show (a document)HSK 6
- 示范set an example, demonstrateHSK 6
- 指示instruct; directiveHSK 6
- 暗示hint; a hintHSK 6
- 提示prompt, hint; a tipHSK 6
- 启示lesson (from sth); revelationHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 示?
示 has 5 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 示 mean?
示 means “show”. It appears in 表示 (“express”), 显示 (“display”), 展示 (“show”), 出示 (“show”).
How do you pronounce 示?
示 is read shì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 示 have?
5 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 示 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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