石
shí
stone, rock
At a glance · 石

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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.

石 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 石 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 石 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 石 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 石 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 石 Regular script
    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、金文象山崖下石块之形,象形,本指岩石。隶楷作「石」。

What the sketch shows

石 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「石」本指石头,又为容量/重量单位。

Structure

象形字,象崖下石块之形。

At a glance

Pinyinshí
Radical石
Strokes5
UnicodeU+77F3
Character type象形
Theme器物

Six languages, one character

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

English stone, rock Stone, rock; a unit of measure.
Français pierre, roche Pierre, roche; une unité de mesure.
Español piedra, roca Piedra, roca; una unidad de medida.
العربية حجر، صخر حجر أو صخر أو وحدة قياس.
Русский камень, скала Камень, скала; единица измерения.

Common words

  • 石头shí toustone
  • 岩石yán shírock