視 (shì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

視

shì[shi4]Tone 4

to look at

HSK 1

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视

Guru Deep Dive

English · to look at

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (礻) is narrow and compressed to make room for the wider, structurally complex right component (见).

Simplification Logic: The traditional radical 示 was simplified to 礻 (2 strokes on the left), and 見 was simplified to 见 on the right.

1. Meaning

to look at

to inspectto observeto view

VerbFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#perception#vision#action

Sample Usage

电视
diànshì
television
视察
shìchá
to inspect / to examine

2. Sound

/[ʂʐ̩˥˩]/Tone: 51

視

shìshi4

`(51)

=shì

Initial Consonant

Type: Retroflex Fricative

Sounds like: sh (retroflex sh sound)

UnaspiratedRetroflex

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

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate, creating a friction channel.

Final Rhyme

i (-i*)

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: apical vowel after retroflex initials

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 plunges instantly to the bottom, like shouting a sudden command or emphatic 'No!'.

👂

Listening trap: Often confused with s- initials or retroflex zh- sounds if not careful about tongue curling.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp downward chop with your hand, mirroring a firm nod or dropping an object from a high shelf.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (礻) is narrow and compressed to make room for the wider, structurally complex right component (见).

Simplification Logic: The traditional radical 示 was simplified to 礻 (2 strokes on the left), and 見 was simplified to 见 on the right.

4. Components

Radical 示 · Spirit / Altar Radical (spirit, manifestation, altar)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 示 (Indicates spiritual manifestation or sacred observation.)

Composed of the spirit/altar radical (示) on the left and the eye/seeing character (见) on the right. Together, it depicts directing your spiritual vision or gaze toward something.

礻 spirit / altar radical (variant of 示)
见 to see / to look

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

3· Phonetic Root: 礻 ()

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined an altar or spiritual display (示) with an eye (见), representing looking with reverence, ritual inspection, or observing signs.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from religious observation and ritual inspection to general acts of looking, observing, and inspecting.

In ancient texts, it frequently denoted official inspection tours by rulers.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

thị

Mandarin Tone 4 corresponds to Vietnamese nặng or sắc depending on historical voicing, here matching a sharp falling contour.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: シ / Kun: みる

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

시

Sound Shift Bridge: Cognate with Sino-Xenic readings like 'shi' (Japanese) and 'thị' (Vietnamese).

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

At the sacred altar (礻), you open your eye (见) to carefully INSPECT and LOOK AT the offerings.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

祝

zhùto wish / to celebrateUses the altar radical (礻) with older brother (兄) to express ritual prayers.

神

shéngod / spiritUses the altar radical (礻) with 申 to represent spiritual entities.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

市(shì)

Means 'market' and lacks the altar radical on the left.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我們每天晚上都在家裡看電[___]。

Clue: shì

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left radical 礻 (spirit) with 衤 (clothing radical, 衤), which looks very similar.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 视 mean when you see it in words like 电视 or 视察?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to look at / vision' with 8 strokes?

視shìto look at

Speed:

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