affair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident
HSK 1, n, 8 strokes, radical 亅, rank #53, Easy
shì(shi4) T4
1matter
2thing
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
事shì(shi4)
The character 事 (shì) refers to a matter, affair, or incident. It is commonly used in contexts related to work or business, and can also signify events or items of interest. This character frequently appears in expressions involving tasks or responsibilities.
Strokes8Radical亅Frequency#53DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 事 is often tied to social obligations and responsibilities, reflecting the importance of maintaining relationships through various affairs, often referred to in business and family contexts.
Memory Tip
Imagine a busy person juggling several tasks (事) at once. The character has a component resembling a 'person' (人) in its structure, suggesting that various actions or matters involve people. The pronunciation 'shì' can be remembered by imagining someone shouting 'She! (事)' when calling attention to a matter.
Meanings of 事
shì(shi4)
1matter
2thing
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 事
事Simplified
8Strokes
亅Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#53Frequency Rank
件Measure Word
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1
Podcast: 事
Podcast: 事
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 事
Quick Contrast
事 (shì) vs 事情 (shìqíng) — use 事 for a more general or abstract reference to a matter, while 事情 specifies a situation or event with more detail.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a busy person juggling several tasks (事) at once. The character has a component resembling a 'person' (人) in its structure, suggesting that various actions or matters involve people. The pronunciation 'shì' can be remembered by imagining someone shouting 'She! (事)' when calling attention to a matter.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 事 (shì) with similar-sounding characters. It is often used in formal contexts, so be mindful of the tone when discussing work or business matters. Common collocations include 事情 (shìqíng, affair) and 工作 (gōngzuò, work).
HSK Study Tips
事 is relevant at HSK Level 3, connecting with other commonly used terms like 事情 (shìqíng) and 工作 (gōngzuò). Students should focus on its usage in sentences related to daily activities and responsibilities.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 事 is often tied to social obligations and responsibilities, reflecting the importance of maintaining relationships through various affairs, often referred to in business and family contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 事 (shì) with 视 (shì, to see). For example, saying '我有很多视' (wǒ yǒu hěn duō shì) instead of '我有很多事' (wǒ yǒu hěn duō shì) leads to confusion, as the first sentence incorrectly translates to 'I have many sights' instead of 'I have many matters'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 事
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 事 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
The characters 史 (history), 吏 (government official), 使 (cause; use; instruct), and 事 (matter; work; affair) are all etymologically related and all derive from the same ancient character, depicting a hand (又) holding some object.
There are vario
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 事 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 事
事 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). 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.
Captain Cook safely navigated his ship without accident for 100 voyages.
10
有时事情并不像我们认为的那样发展。
yǒu shí shì qíng bìng bù xiàng wǒ mén rèn wéi de nà yàng fā zhǎn。
Sometimes things don't turn out the way we think they're going to.
Cultural Notes for 事
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of 事 is often tied to social obligations and responsibilities, reflecting the importance of maintaining relationships through various affairs, often referred to in business and family contexts.
Word Family of 事
Compounds2
剚
倳
Words Containing This Character20
事shìmatter
事情shìqingaffair
故事gùshinarrative
事件shìjiànevent
事实shìshífact事實
事业shìyèundertaking事業
事故shìgùaccident
事实上shìshíshàngin fact事實上
军事jūnshìmilitary affairs軍事
事儿business事兒
从事cóngshìto go for從事
同事tóngshìcolleague
好事hǎoshìcharity
董事会dǒngshìhuìboard of directors董事會
没事it's nothing沒事
董事长dǒngshìzhǎngchairman董事長
董事dǒngshìboard member
当事人dāngshìrénparty (to an affair)當事人
事物shìwùthing
大事dàshìmajor event
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 事 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 事
事 can mean matter, affair, or work, depending on the context. It's important to look at the surrounding words to understand its specific use.
You can use it in phrases like 这件事 (zhè jiàn shì) meaning 'this matter' or 我要处理这件事 (wǒ yào chǔlǐ zhè jiàn shì) meaning 'I need to handle this matter'.
Yes, while it can be used in formal contexts, 事 is also common in everyday conversations, especially when discussing tasks or events.
