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濕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
濕shīwet, moist, humid, damp; illnessx, 17 strokes, radical 氵
shī(shi1) T1
  1. 1wet, moist, humid, damp; illness
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

濕shī(shi1)

The character 濕 (shī) means wet, moist, humid, or damp. It is commonly used to describe weather conditions, such as humid climates, or to refer to the moisture content in various contexts like food. Additionally, it can denote a state of illness, often associated with dampness in traditional Chinese medicine.

Strokes17Radical氵
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, excess humidity in the body is believed to cause various illnesses, making this term significant in discussions about health and wellness in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a soggy sponge (濕) that is dripping wet to help you remember the sound 'shī' and the meaning of wetness. The water radical (氵) on the left signifies liquid, which reinforces the meaning of moisture.

Meanings of 濕

shī(shi1)
1wet, moist, humid, damp; illness
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 濕

濕Simplified
17Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 濕

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Podcast: 濕

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 濕

Quick Contrast

湿 (shī) vs 潮 (cháo) — use 湿 (shī) for general wetness or moisture, while 潮 (cháo) specifically refers to dampness in relation to tides or humidity.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 濕 (shī) with 幸 (xìng), which means 'fortunate'—make sure to remember that 濕 is related to moisture. It is generally used in both formal and informal contexts. Watch out for tone errors, as the first tone (shī) changes the meaning dramatically.

HSK Study Tips

Although 濕 is not on the HSK list, it connects well with other weather-related vocabulary and adjectives. Students should focus on understanding how it is used in descriptions of weather and health, as well as practice its pronunciation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 濕 (shī) with its similar sounding counterparts like 失 (shī) meaning 'to lose.' Remember that 濕 is associated with moisture and dampness, while 失 relates to loss.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 濕

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Etymology of 濕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 显 represents the sound. Simplified form of 濕.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)㬎
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 濕

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 显 represents the sound. Simplified form of 濕.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half㬎 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 濕? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 濕?

Decomposition of 濕

IDS Structure⿰氵㬎
濕Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
㬎xian3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 濕?

How to say wet, moist, humid, damp; illness in Chinese

“wet, moist, humid, damp; illness” in Chinese is濕shī

The character 濕 (shī) means wet, moist, humid, or damp. It is commonly used to describe weather conditions, such as humid climates, or to refer to the moisture content in various contexts like food. Additionally, it can denote a state of illness, often associated with dampness in traditional Chinese medicine.

When to use 濕

Common mistakes include confusing 濕 (shī) with 幸 (xìng), which means 'fortunate'—make sure to remember that 濕 is related to moisture. It is generally used in both formal and informal contexts. Watch out for tone errors, as the first tone (shī) changes the meaning dramatically.

濕 or something close to it

湿 (shī) vs 潮 (cháo) — use 湿 (shī) for general wetness or moisture, while 潮 (cháo) specifically refers to dampness in relation to tides or humidity.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 濕 (shī) with its similar sounding counterparts like 失 (shī) meaning 'to lose.' Remember that 濕 is associated with moisture and dampness, while 失 relates to loss.

Write 濕

濕

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 濕

Words Containing This Character20
湿shīmoist濕
潮湿cháoshīdamp潮濕
湿地wetland濕地
湿度shīdùhumidity level濕度
湿润shīrùnmoist濕潤
湿漉漉damp濕漉漉
风湿rheumatism風濕
湿疹eczema濕疹
浸湿to soak浸濕
湿透drenched濕透
湿气moisture濕氣
淋湿to get soaked淋濕
尿不湿(coll.) disposable diaper尿不濕
风湿热rheumatic fever風濕熱
润湿to wet潤濕
加湿器humidifier加濕器
阴湿dark and moist陰濕
吸湿to absorb吸濕
沾湿to moisten沾濕
湿婆Shiva (Hindu deity)濕婆
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 湿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 濕

You can say '今天很濕' (jīntiān hěn shī), meaning 'Today is very humid.'

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