The character 社 — “community”: how to write it and what it means
community, society
The Chinese character 社 is read shè and means “community, society”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 社
社 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 社, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 社 is made of
On the left, 礻 “altar”; on the right, 土 “earth”: the altar to the earth spirit where the community gathered.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 社
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 社?
社 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 社 mean?
社 means “community, society”. It appears in 社会 (“society”), 社区 (“neighborhood”), 旅行社 (“travel agency”), 报社 (“newspaper office”).
How do you pronounce 社?
社 is read shè. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 社 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 社 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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