士 shì — scholar, soldier · English

士

shì

scholar, soldier

At a glance · 士

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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 seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

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、金文象成年男子之形（或说象斧钺，表武士），本指男子、官士。隶楷作「士」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「士」本指男子、贵族阶层，后指读书人与军人。

Structure

象形（或指事）字，象成年男子挺立之形。

At a glance

Pinyinshì

Radical士

Strokes3

UnicodeU+58EB

Character type象形

Theme人伦

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English scholar, soldier A scholar, gentleman, or soldier.

Français lettré, soldat Un lettré, gentilhomme ou soldat.

Español erudito, soldado Un erudito, caballero o soldado.

العربية عالم، جندي رجل علم أو جندي.

Русский учёный, воин Учёный, благородный муж или воин.

Common words

士shìscholar
士兵shì bīngsoldier

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