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识 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
识shíto knowHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíto recordHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíknowledgeHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíto write a footnoteHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíTaiwan pr. [shì]HSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíknowledge; to understand, to recognize, to knowHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识shíTaiwan pr. [shi4]HSK 6, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìto knowHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìto recordHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìknowledgeHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìto write a footnoteHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìTaiwan pr. [shì]HSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìknowledge; to understand, to recognize, to knowHSK 6, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
识zhìTaiwan pr. [shi4]HSK 6, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #11176, Hard
shí(shi2)shi
primary
T2
  1. 1to know
  2. 2to record
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

识(識)shí(shi2)

The character 识 (shí) primarily means 'to know' or 'to recognize.' It is often used in contexts related to knowledge, understanding, and identification. In addition, it can refer to the act of recording information or writing notes, making it versatile in academic and everyday conversations.

Strokes7Radical讠Frequency#11176DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, knowledge and education are highly valued, often symbolized by the character 识. This reflects the importance placed on learning and wisdom throughout history, as seen in Confucian teachings that emphasize the pursuit of knowledge.

Memory tip

Imagine a wise sage (识) who knows everything. The left part resembles a person (人) while the right part symbolizes knowledge (日), representing the light of understanding. To remember 'shí,' think of a sage shining light on knowledge.

Meanings of 识

shí(shi2)
primary
1to know
2to record
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 识 means.

About 识

识Simplified
識Traditional
7Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#11176Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 识

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Podcast: 识

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AI study notes for 识

Quick Contrast

识 (shí) vs 知 (zhī) — use 识 when emphasizing recognition or identification, while 知 focuses more on knowledge or understanding.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 识 with similar-sounding characters like 是 (shì, to be) and 知 (zhī, to know). It is used in both formal and informal contexts, and learners should pay attention to its collocations like 认识 (rènshi, to know/recognize) and 知识 (zhīshi, knowledge). Be mindful of the tonal pronunciation, as mispronouncing the tones can lead to confusion.

HSK Study Tips

Although 识 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is relevant for learners at HSK Level 2 and above due to its practical usage in daily conversation and academic contexts. Focus on vocabulary related to knowledge and recognition, such as 知 (to know) and 认识 (to recognize).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 识 with 识别 (shíbié, to identify) and use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我识别这个人' (Wǒ shíbié zhège rén) instead of '我认识这个人' (Wǒ rènshi zhège rén) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 识

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Etymology of 识

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 只 represents the sound.

Memory hint

speech

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

Origin

识 = 讠 + 只. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 识

IDS Structure⿰讠只
识Full character
=
讠yan2
left
只zhi1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 识?

How to say to know in Chinese

“to know” in Chinese is识shí

The character 识 (shí) primarily means 'to know' or 'to recognize.' It is often used in contexts related to knowledge, understanding, and identification. In addition, it can refer to the act of recording information or writing notes, making it versatile in academic and everyday conversations.

When to use 识

Common mistakes include confusing 识 with similar-sounding characters like 是 (shì, to be) and 知 (zhī, to know). It is used in both formal and informal contexts, and learners should pay attention to its collocations like 认识 (rènshi, to know/recognize) and 知识 (zhīshi, knowledge). Be mindful of the tonal pronunciation, as mispronouncing the tones can lead to confusion.

识 or something close to it

识 (shí) vs 知 (zhī) — use 识 when emphasizing recognition or identification, while 知 focuses more on knowledge or understanding.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 识 with 识别 (shíbié, to identify) and use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我识别这个人' (Wǒ shíbié zhège rén) instead of '我认识这个人' (Wǒ rènshi zhège rén) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 识

识

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

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Grammar patterns of 识

识 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他一个汉字都不认____。

He does not recognize even one Chinese character.

Example sentences for 识 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我意识到我不得不克服语言障碍。

wǒ yìshí dào wǒ bùdébù kèfú yǔyán zhàng’ài。

I realized I had to surmount the language barrier.
2
现在人们开始意识到必须采取断然的行动。

xiànzài rénmen kāishǐ yìshí dào bìxū cǎiqǔ duànrán de xíngdòng。

Now there is a dawning realisation that drastic action is necessary.
3
“他怎么认识你母亲的?”——“我不知道。”

“ tā zěnme rènshi nǐ mǔqīn de?”——“ wǒ bùzhī dào。”

"How did he meet your mother?" — "I don't know."
4
他居然认识你的家人,真是太巧了。

tā jūrán rènshi nǐ de jiārén, zhēnshi tài qiǎo le。

What an odd coincidence that he should have known your family.
5
其目的是促使人们结识邻居。

qí mùdì shì cùshǐ rénmen jiéshí línjū。

The idea is to encourage people to get to know their neighbours.
6
他们认为古代希腊罗马是知识的重要发源地。

tāmen rènwéi gǔdài xī là luō mǎ shì zhīshi de zhòngyào fāyuándì。

They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.
7
当然,识字和智力是两码事。

dāngrán, shízì hé zhìlì shì liǎng mǎ shì。

Of course, literacy isn't the same thing as intelligence.
8
他们被劝服,认识到了和平的好处。

tāmen bèi quàn fú, rènshi dào le hépíng de hǎochù。

They have been per-suaded of the merits of peace.
9
当我意识到自己的所作所为时,我吓坏了。

dāng wǒ yìshí dào zìjǐ de suǒzuòsuǒwéi shí, wǒ hè huài le。

I was scared stiff when I realized what I'ddone.
10
她意识到自己做了什么后羞红了脸。

tā yìshí dào zìjǐ zuò le shénme hòu xiū hóng le liǎn。

She turned scarlet from embarrassment, once she realized what she had done.
11
他在旅行中识了很多新朋友,增长了见识。

Tā zài lǚxíng zhōng shí le hěn duō xīn péngyǒu, zēngzhǎng le jiànshì.

He got to know many new friends during his travels, broadening his horizons.
12
通过这次项目合作,我识到了一位非常有才华的设计师。

Tōngguò zhè cì xiàngmù hézuò, wǒ shí dào le yī wèi fēicháng yǒu cáihuá de shèjì shī.

Through this project collaboration, I got to know a very talented designer.
13
通过这本书,我识到了许多以前不曾了解的历史事件。

Tōngguò zhè běn shū, wǒ shídào le xǔduō yǐqián bùcéng liǎojiě de lìshǐ shìjiàn.

Through this book, I came to know many historical events I had not understood before.
14
在这次讨论中,我慢慢识到团队合作的重要性。

Zài zhè cì tǎolùn zhōng, wǒ mànmàn shídào tuánduì hézuò de zhòngyào xìng.

During this discussion, I gradually came to know the importance of teamwork.
15
经过多年研究,他终于识到了这个现象背后的科学原理。

Jīngguò duōnián yánjiū, tā zhōngyú shídào le zhège xiànxiàng bèihòu de kēxué yuánlǐ.

After years of research, he finally came to know the scientific principles behind this phenomenon.
16
在深入了解之后,我识到这项技术的潜力远超我的想象。

Zài shēnrù liǎojiě zhīhòu, wǒ shídào zhè xiàng jìshù de qiánlì yuǎn chāo wǒ de xiǎngxiàng.

After a deep understanding, I came to know that the potential of this technology far exceeds my imagination.

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Word Family of 识

Words containing this character20
认识rènshito know認識
意识yìshíconsciousness意識
知识zhīshiknowledge知識
见识jiànshiknowledge見識
知识产权zhīshichǎnquánintellectual property rights (law)知識產權
识别shíbiéto distinguish識別
识shíto know識
共识gòngshíconsensus共識
标识biāoshísign標識
知识分子zhīshifènzǐintellectual知識分子
常识chángshícommon sense常識
相识xiāngshíacquaintance相識
潜意识qiányìshíunconscious mind潛意識
结识jiéshíto get to know sb結識
意识形态yìshíxíngtàiideology意識形態
识字shízìto learn to read識字
下意识xiàyìshísubconscious mind下意識
有意识yǒuyìshíconscious有意識
识破shípòto penetrate識破
似曾相识sìcéngxiāngshíseemingly familiar似曾相識
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 识

What does 认识 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 识

识 emphasizes recognition and understanding, while 知 focuses more on knowledge in a general sense.

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