The character 私 — “personal”: how to write it and what it means
personal, private
The Chinese character 私 is read sī and means “personal, private”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 私
私 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 私, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 私 is made of
On the left, 禾 “grain”; on the right, 厶 — “one's own”: your own grain.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 私
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 私?
私 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 私 mean?
私 means “personal, private”. It appears in 私人 (“private”), 隐私 (“privacy”).
How do you pronounce 私?
私 is read sī. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 私 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 私 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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