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侍 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
侍shìto serve, to attend upon; servant, attendant; samurainr, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #17825, Hard
shì(shi4) T4
  1. 1to serve, to attend upon; servant, attendant; samurai
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March 24, 2026

侍shì(shi4)

The character 侍 (shì) primarily means 'to serve' or 'to attend upon.' It is commonly used in contexts referring to attendants or servants, and historically, it denotes samurai, who served their lords in feudal Japan. The nuance of this character carries a sense of duty and loyalty associated with service.

Strokes8Radical亻Frequency#17825DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of service is deeply rooted in Confucian values, emphasizing loyalty and duty, particularly in familial and societal roles. The notion of a servant or attendant, as represented by 侍, reflects historical hierarchies and relationships in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a samurai in traditional armor standing by the side of a lord, ready to serve. The character 侍 can be broken down into '亻' (person) and '寺' (temple), which together can evoke the image of a person attending to the spiritual needs at a temple, reinforcing the idea of service and devotion.

Meanings of 侍

shì(shi4)
1to serve, to attend upon; servant, attendant; samurai
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 侍

侍Simplified
8Strokes
亻Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 侍

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Podcast: 侍

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AI Study Notes for 侍

Quick Contrast

侍 (shì) vs 服务 (fúwù) — use 侍 when emphasizing the role of an attendant with a sense of duty, while 服务 focuses more on the act of providing service.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a samurai in traditional armor standing by the side of a lord, ready to serve. The character 侍 can be broken down into '亻' (person) and '寺' (temple), which together can evoke the image of a person attending to the spiritual needs at a temple, reinforcing the idea of service and devotion.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context when using 侍, as it can imply both historical and modern forms of service. It's often used in formal contexts, and learners should avoid confusing it with related terms like '服务' (fúwù), which is more general for 'service.' Always use the correct tones, as mispronunciation can change meanings.

HSK Study Tips

侍 is not included in HSK levels but is relevant for learners focusing on historical or cultural contexts. Students should connect it with other words related to service, such as '服务' (service) and '侍卫' (bodyguard), to deepen their understanding of the concept.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of service is deeply rooted in Confucian values, emphasizing loyalty and duty, particularly in familial and societal roles. The notion of a servant or attendant, as represented by 侍, reflects historical hierarchies and relationships in Chinese society.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 侍 with similar-sounding words or characters, such as '士' (shì), which means 'scholar' or 'gentleman.' A common error is using 侍 when they mean '服务'; for instance, saying '我需要一个侍' (I need a servant) instead of '我需要服务' (I need service).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 侍

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Etymology of 侍

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)寺
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 侍?

Decomposition of 侍

IDS Structure⿰亻寺
侍Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
寺si4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 侍?

Write 侍

侍

Practice writing 侍 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 侍

侍 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

“给我来份烤金枪鱼吧，”玛丽·安告诉____者。

"I'll take the grilled tuna," Mary Ann told the waiter.

Example Sentences for 侍 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“给我来份烤金枪鱼吧，”玛丽·安告诉侍者。

“ “ gěi wǒ lái fèn kǎo jīn qiāng yú，” bā ，”· mǎ lì · ān gào。

"I'll take the grilled tuna," Mary Ann told the waiter.
2
侍者把他们点的餐端了过来，格雷厄姆签了单。

shì zhě bǎ tā mén diǎn de cān duān le guò lái， ， gé léi è mǔ qiān le。

The waiter returned with their order and Graham signed the bill.
3
一位推着手推车的侍者紧随着他过来。

yī wèi tuī zháo shǒu tuī chē de shì zhě jǐn suí zháo tā guò lái。

In his wake came a waiter wheeling a trolley.
4
侍者为他端上佐餐的红葡萄酒或者白葡萄酒。

shì zhě wéi tā duān shàng zuǒ cān de hóng pú táo jiǔ huò zhě bái pú táo jiǔ。

The waiter offered him red wine or white wine with his meal.
5
有很多仆人服侍她。

yǒu hěn duō pū rén fú shì tā。

There were plenty of servants to wait on her.
6
一名侍者尽力抹掉溅出的食物。

yī míng shì zhě jìn lì mǒ diào jiàn chū de shí wù。

A waiter mopped up the mess as best he could.
7
他喝完开胃酒，又尝了点侍者端来的葡萄酒。

tā hē wán kāi wèi jiǔ， ， yòu cháng le diǎn shì zhě duān lái de pú táo。

He finished his aperitif and tasted the wine the waiter had produced.
8
这位酒吧侍者已经应付不过来客人的点单。

zhè wèi jiǔ bā shì zhě yǐ jīng yīng fù bù guò lái kè rén de diǎn dān。

The bar waiter was already overloaded with orders.
9
女侍者走上前来，“您准备好点餐了吗？”

nǚ shì zhě zǒu shàng qián lái，“ ，“ nín zhǔn bèi hǎo diǎn cān le？”

The waitress appeared. "Are you ready to order?"
10
一名女侍者走进来, 手端放着茶的托盘.

yī míng nǚ shì zhě zǒu jìn lái, , shǒu duān fàng zháo chá de tuō.

A waitress came in, carrying tea on a tray.

Cultural Notes for 侍

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of service is deeply rooted in Confucian values, emphasizing loyalty and duty, particularly in familial and societal roles. The notion of a servant or attendant, as represented by 侍, reflects historical hierarchies and relationships in Chinese society.

Word Family of 侍

Words Containing This Character16
侍shìto serve
侍者attendant
侍卫Imperial bodyguard侍衛
服侍to attend to
侍女maid
侍从attendant侍從
侍奉to wait upon
侍应生waiter侍應生
侍应abbr. for 侍應生|侍应生[shì​yìng​shēng]侍應
侍候shìhòuto serve
侍郎ancient official title
侍立to stand by in attendance
陪侍to accompany
侍弄to look after
十常侍Ten Permanent Functionaries at the end of Han, a byword for corruption
伏侍to attend to
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 侍 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 侍

Yes, while primarily historical, 侍 can still be used in formal contexts to describe attendants or servants.