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泗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
mucus; to sniffle; a river in Shandong provincens, 8 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
river in Shandongunknown, 8 strokes, radical 氵, Very Hard
(Si4) T4
  1. 1mucus; to sniffle; a river in Shandong province
  2. 2river in Shandong
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March 24, 2026
(Si4)

The character 泗 (sì) primarily refers to mucus or the act of sniffing, often related to a cold or allergies. Additionally, it denotes a specific river in Shandong province, which may be encountered in geographical or cultural discussions.

Strokes8RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The river 泗 is significant in Chinese geography, particularly in Shandong province, known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including Confucianism.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river (水) flowing with clear mucus (泗) along its banks. The shape of the character resembles water flowing down, which can help you remember both its meaning and sound (sì) as you visualize this river.

Meanings of 泗

(Si4)
1mucus; to sniffle; a river in Shandong province
2river in Shandong
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 泗

Simplified
8Strokes
Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 泗

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AI Study Notes for 泗

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a river (水) flowing with clear mucus (泗) along its banks. The shape of the character resembles water flowing down, which can help you remember both its meaning and sound (sì) as you visualize this river.

Usage Notes

When using 泗 to refer to mucus, it is often in informal contexts, while the geographical reference is more formal. Be careful with pronunciation, as a mispronunciation of the fourth tone can change the meaning entirely. Common collocations include phrases relating to colds or allergies.

HSK Study Tips

Although 泗 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to level 2-3 words related to health and geography. Students should focus on the context in which 泗 appears, especially in relation to describing symptoms or discussing locations.

Cultural Note

The river 泗 is significant in Chinese geography, particularly in Shandong province, known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including Confucianism.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 泗 with similar-sounding characters; for example, using 室 (shì) instead of 泗 (sì) when talking about a cold. Remember that 泗 is specifically related to mucus and geography.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 泗

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Etymology of 泗

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

water

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 泗?

Decomposition of 泗

IDS Structure⿰氵四
Full Character
=
shui3
left
si4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 泗?

Write 泗

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

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Cultural Notes for 泗

🏮Cultural insight

The river 泗 is significant in Chinese geography, particularly in Shandong province, known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including Confucianism.

Word Family of 泗

Words Containing This Character14
river in Shandong
泗县Si county in Suzhou 宿州[Sù​zhōu], Anhui泗縣
泗水Sishui County in Jining 濟寧|济宁[Jǐ​níng], Shandong
泗洪Sihong County in Suqian 宿遷|宿迁[Sù​qiān], Jiangsu
泗阳Siyang County in Suqian 宿遷|宿迁[Sù​qiān], Jiangsu泗陽
泗阳县Siyang County in Suqian 宿遷|宿迁[Sù​qiān], Jiangsu泗陽縣
嵊泗Shengsi county in Zhoushan 舟山[Zhōu​shān], Zhejiang
泗洪县Sihong County in Suqian 宿遷|宿迁[Sù​qiān], Jiangsu泗洪縣
嵊泗县Shengsi county in Zhoushan 舟山[Zhōu​shān], Zhejiang嵊泗縣
泗水县Sishui County in Jining 濟寧|济宁[Jǐ​níng], Shandong泗水縣
涕泗横流sniveling涕泗橫流
嵊泗列岛Shengsi Islands, making up Shengsi county in Zhoushan 舟山[Zhōu​shān], Zhejiang嵊泗列島
涕泗滂沱a flood of tears and mucus
涕泗纵横sniveling涕泗縱橫
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 泗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 泗

It is usually used in informal speech regarding colds or sniffles, and in formal contexts when discussing the river.