是 shì — be, right · English

是

shì

be, right

At a glance · 是

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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。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

是字小篆从日从正，会意为正直、正确，引申为判断词『是』。甲骨文象日下有人足正行之形。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

是本义为正、正确，后作判断动词『是』。

Structure

会意字，从日从正，表示正确无误。

At a glance

Pinyinshì

Radical日

Strokes9

UnicodeU+662F

Character type会意

Theme虚词

Six languages, one character

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

English be, right Shi is an associative character of sun and upright, meaning correct and, as a verb, to be.

Français être, correct Shi est un caractère associatif de soleil et droit, signifiant correct et, comme verbe, être.

Español ser, correcto Shi es un carácter asociativo de sol y recto, significa correcto y, como verbo, ser.

العربية يكون، صحيح شي حرف تركيبي لشمس ومستقيم، يعني الصحيح وكناءة الفعل يكون.

Русский быть, правильный Ши — ассоциативный знак солнца и прямоты, означает правильный и как глагол «быть».

Common words

是否shì fǒuwhether
是非shì fēiright and wrong

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