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詩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, odezg, 13 strokes, radical 言
shī(shi1) T1
  1. 1poetry; poem, verse, ode
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

詩shī(shi1)

詩 (shī) refers to poetry or a poem in Chinese literature, encompassing various forms and styles of verse. It is often associated with artistic expression, emotions, and cultural reflection, commonly found in classical works and modern compositions alike.

Strokes13Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, poetry is highly esteemed and has a rich history, with famous poets like Li Bai and Du Fu influencing literature for centuries. The appreciation of poetry is an integral part of Chinese education and social gatherings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'she' (pronounced similarly to 'shī') reciting a beautiful poem under a tree, with the leaves gently falling like verses of a poetic composition. The character 詩 combines the radical '言' (speech) on the left, representing language and expression, with '寺' (temple) on the right, suggesting a sacred place for artistic creation.

Meanings of 詩

shī(shi1)
1poetry; poem, verse, ode
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 詩

詩Simplified
13Strokes
言Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 詩

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Podcast: 詩

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 詩

Quick Contrast

诗 (shī) vs 歌 (gē) — choose 诗 when referring specifically to poetry, while 歌 refers to songs or lyrical compositions.

Usage Notes

When using 詩, be mindful of its context; it is primarily used in literary and artistic discussions rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include '詩歌' (shīgē - poetry) and '詩人' (shīrén - poet). Avoid confusion with similar-sounding words like '师' (shī - teacher) which have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

詩 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it connects well with HSK Level 4 words like '文学' (wénxué - literature) and '作品' (zuòpǐn - work, piece). Focus on understanding its usage in literary contexts and familiarize yourself with different forms of poetry in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 詩 (poetry) with 诗 (the same character but in simplified form), leading to misunderstandings about its usage in different regions. Remember that 詩 is used in traditional Chinese contexts, while 诗 is simplified for mainland China.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 詩

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Etymology of 詩

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詩.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 詩

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詩.

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half寺 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 詩? 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 詩?

Decomposition of 詩

IDS Structure⿰言寺
詩Full Character
=
言yan2
left
寺si4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 詩?

How to say poetry; poem, verse, ode in Chinese

“poetry; poem, verse, ode” in Chinese is詩shī

詩 (shī) refers to poetry or a poem in Chinese literature, encompassing various forms and styles of verse. It is often associated with artistic expression, emotions, and cultural reflection, commonly found in classical works and modern compositions alike.

When to use 詩

When using 詩, be mindful of its context; it is primarily used in literary and artistic discussions rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include '詩歌' (shīgē - poetry) and '詩人' (shīrén - poet). Avoid confusion with similar-sounding words like '师' (shī - teacher) which have different meanings.

詩 or something close to it

诗 (shī) vs 歌 (gē) — choose 诗 when referring specifically to poetry, while 歌 refers to songs or lyrical compositions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 詩 (poetry) with 诗 (the same character but in simplified form), leading to misunderstandings about its usage in different regions. Remember that 詩 is used in traditional Chinese contexts, while 诗 is simplified for mainland China.

Write 詩

詩

Practice writing 詩 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 詩

Words Containing This Character20
诗shīpoem詩
诗人shīrénbard詩人
诗歌shīgēpoem詩歌
诗意poetry詩意
史诗an epic史詩
诗词verse詩詞
诗句verse詩句
诗集poetry anthology詩集
诗篇a poem詩篇
诗文poetry and literature詩文
唐诗Tang poetry唐詩
诗经Shijing, the Book of Songs, early collection of Chinese poems and one of the Five Classics of Confucianism 五經|五经[Wǔ​jīng]詩經
情诗love poem情詩
古诗old verse古詩
吟诗to recite poetry吟詩
诗情画意picturesque charm詩情畫意
十四行诗sonnet十四行詩
打油诗humorous poem打油詩
诗书the Book of Songs 詩經|诗经[Shī​jīng] and the Book of History 書經|书经[Shū​jīng]詩書
赋诗to versify賦詩
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 诗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 詩

詩 refers specifically to poetry, while 歌 (gē) means song. Although both are forms of artistic expression, songs are typically set to music and often have a more melodic structure.

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