示 (shì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

示

shì[shi4]Tone 4

to show, to reveal

HSK 3

Guru Deep Dive

English · to show, to reveal

Cached lesson

1 / 1

Topology:Single character

Strokes:5

Writing Balance Rule: The top horizontal line is relatively short, leading down to a vertical drop and angled strokes that expand gracefully toward the bottom, maintaining horizontal symmetry.

1. Meaning

to show, to reveal, to manifest

to instructto notifyto express

VerbNeutral#communication#action#abstract concepts

Sample Usage

请出示您的护照。
Qǐng chūshì nín de hùzhào.
Please show your passport.
这表明了我们的决心。
Zhè biǎomíng le wǒmen de juéxīn.
This demonstrates our determination.

2. Sound

/[ʂʐ̩˥˩]/Tone: 51

示

shìshi4

`(51)

=shì

Initial Consonant

Type: Retroflex Fricative

Sounds like: sh sound as in ship, with tongue curled back

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: Hollow wind sound through curled tongue channel.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate, non-sibilant friction.

Final Rhyme

i (-i*)

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: buzzing i sound after retroflex consonants

Note: Written as 'i (-i*)', pronounced as rounded 'i' [y].

Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'zh-' (jr) with final '-i' (rr/zz).

Common Learner Trap: Do NOT pronounce '-i' as 'ee' after zh-! Keep your tongue in the consonant position and buzz 'rr/zz'.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops immediately and steeply, just like saying 'Stop!' or 'Go!' in English with finality.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'sh-' with the alveolar 's-', or confusing Tone 4 with Tone 2 or 3 in fast speech.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, downward karate chop from high in the air straight down to the floor, matching Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Single character · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The top horizontal line is relatively short, leading down to a vertical drop and angled strokes that expand gracefully toward the bottom, maintaining horizontal symmetry.

4. Components

Radical 示 · Show / Spirit Radical (Deity, altar, omen, manifestation)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 示 (Represents an ancient altar displaying divine omens to humans.)

Originally depicted as a sacrificial altar table with items placed on top to show heaven's will to humanity.

一 Top horizontal line representing the heavens or altar surface
小 Hanging drops showing omens or gifts descending

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

4· Phonetic Root: 示 (shì)

5. History

Liushu category: Indicative (指事)

Origin: In Oracle Bone script, 示 was drawn as an elevated table or altar where sacrifices were presented to manifest spiritual signs or omens from above.

Semantic Evolution: From its original pictorial meaning of 'ancestral altar/sacrificial table', it extended to mean 'to make manifest', 'to reveal', and 'to show'.

As a radical (often written as 礻 on the left side of characters), it is found in almost all Chinese characters relating to gods, spirits, worship, and sacred rituals.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

thị

Thanh nặng hoặc thanh ngang tuỳ từ, tương ứng với âm Hán Việt cổ.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: シ (shi) / Kun: しめ.す (shime.su)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

시

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine an ancient stone altar (示) where a king stands up to SHOW and REVEAL glowing omens to his people.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

标

biāomark, sign, targetAdded wood (木) to show a wooden marker or signpost.

际

jìborder, boundaryAdded mound (阝) to show where borders meet.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

木(mù)

木 (tree) has a symmetric bottom branching out, whereas 示 has extra dots/strokes hanging down from the middle like falling drops or omens.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

请把你的身份证出[___]一下。

Clue: shì

Common Learner Pitfall

Mistaking 示 for 木 (tree) or failing to include the crucial dots at the top right when handwriting.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see the character 示, what does it mean and how is it pronounced?

Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to show' or 'to reveal' (shì)?

示shìto show, to reveal

Speed:

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