史
history, chronicler
At a glance · 史
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
甲骨文、金文从又（手）持「中」（简册或正中之器），会意记事之官。隶楷作「史」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「史」本指掌记事之官，引申为历史、史册。
Structure
会意字，从又持中，象史官执笔记事。
At a glance
Pinyinshǐ
Radical口
Strokes5
UnicodeU+53F2
Character type会意
Theme政事
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
history, chronicler
History; a historian, official recorder.
Français
histoire, historien
Histoire; un historien, chroniqueur.
Español
historia, historiador
Historia; un historiador, cronista.
العربية
تاريخ، مؤرخ
تاريخ أو مؤرخ.
Русский
история, летописец
История; историк, хроникёр.
Common words
- 历史lì shǐhistory
- 史shǐhistory