HSK 3, n, 5 strokes, radical 巾, rank #1932, Medium
市
shì
city
HSK 3, n, 5 strokes, radical 巾, rank #1932, Medium
市
shì
>个[gè]
HSK 3, n, 5 strokes, radical 巾, rank #1932, Medium
市
shì
city, town; market, fair; to trade
HSK 3, n, 5 strokes, radical 巾, rank #1932, Medium
shì(shi4) T4
1market
2city
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March 24, 2026
市shì(shi4)
The character 市 (shì) primarily means 'market' or 'city.' It is commonly used in contexts referring to urban areas or places where goods are bought and sold. In addition to its primary meanings, it can also denote trade and commerce.
Strokes5Radical巾Frequency#1932DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, markets (市) are integral to community life and are places where social interactions occur, often featuring traditional foods and local artisans. The concept of a market is deeply embedded in China's history, reflecting the importance of trade.
Memory Tip
Imagine a bustling market where people are trading goods. The character 市 resembles a small marketplace with a roof (the top '土' radical) where exchanges occur. Remember, 'shì' sounds like 'she,' who is selling fruits at this vibrant city market.
Meanings of 市
shì(shi4)
1market
2city
Exercise 1 of 3
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 市
市Simplified
5Strokes
巾Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1932Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1
Podcast: 市
Podcast: 市
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AI Study Notes for 市
Quick Contrast
市 (shì) vs 城 (chéng) — use 市 when referring to a market or urban area specifically; use 城 for a fortified city or town.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a bustling market where people are trading goods. The character 市 resembles a small marketplace with a roof (the top '土' radical) where exchanges occur. Remember, 'shì' sounds like 'she,' who is selling fruits at this vibrant city market.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 市 with 城 (chéng), which means 'city' but has a different nuance. 市 is more about the market aspect, while 城 refers to the city as a whole. It is often used in formal contexts when discussing urban planning or economics.
HSK Study Tips
Although 市 is not in the HSK levels, it relates to other fundamental words like 城市 (chéngshì) meaning 'city.' Students should focus on its usage in phrases related to urban life and commerce to build vocabulary around this theme.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, markets (市) are integral to community life and are places where social interactions occur, often featuring traditional foods and local artisans. The concept of a market is deeply embedded in China's history, reflecting the importance of trade.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 市 (shì) with other similar words like 街 (jiē) meaning 'street.' For example, saying '我去市' instead of '我去市场' (wǒ qù shìchǎng) which means 'I am going to the market' is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 市
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Grammar Patterns of 市
市 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 4 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.
The London City Ballet has engaged two male dancers from the Bolshoi.
10
成车的食物、毯子与其他必需品抵达了该市。
chéng chē de shí wù、 、 tǎn zǐ yǔ qí tā bì xū pǐn dǐ dá le gāi。
Truckloads of food, blankets, and other necessities reached the city.
Cultural Notes for 市
💡Did you know?
In ancient China, cities were often surrounded by walls for protection, leading to thriving markets within their gates. The character '市' reflects this historical significance of trade and community.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, markets (市) are integral to community life and are places where social interactions occur, often featuring traditional foods and local artisans. The concept of a market is deeply embedded in China's history, reflecting the importance of trade.
🌏Cross-cultural Insight
In many cultures, markets serve as social gathering places. Similar to '市' in Chinese, 'bazaar' in Persian and 'mercado' in Spanish both denote marketplaces where people trade goods and socialize.
Word Family of 市
Compounds7
闹nao4variant of 鬧
柿shi4old variant of 柿[shì]
鬧nao4busy, lively; to dispute, to quarrel
铈shi4cerium
旆pei4banner, flag; ornament
鈰
閙
Words Containing This Character20
城市chéngshìcity
市场shìchǎngmarketplace市場
市shìmarket
市长shìzhǎngmayor市長
市民shìmíncity resident
上市shàngshìto hit the market (of a new product)
超市chāoshìsupermarket
市中心city center
全市whole city
市区shìqūdowntown市區
股市gǔshìstock market
都市dūshìcity
市政府city hall
市场经济shìchǎngjīngjìmarket economy市場經濟
北京市Beijing
市里li (Chinese unit of length equal to 500 meters)
市政厅city hall市政廳
市政municipal administration
黑市black market
市委municipal committee
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 闹 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 市
Yes, 市 (shì) appears in various Chinese idioms related to urban life and commerce. For instance, '鱼龙混杂' (yú lóng hùn zá) describes a situation where both good and bad elements coexist, often used in the context of bustling markets or cities.
Common phrases that include 市 (shì) are '市中心' (shì zhōng xīn), meaning 'city center,' and '市场' (shìchǎng), which means 'market.' These phrases are useful when navigating urban areas or discussing local commerce.
市 (shì) means 'city' or 'market' in Chinese. It is commonly used to refer to urban areas and local markets where goods are bought and sold. In everyday conversation, you might hear it in the context of discussing locations or commerce.
You can use 市 (shì) in a sentence to describe a location or a market. For example, '我住在这个市' (Wǒ zhù zài zhège shì) means 'I live in this city.' Another example is '这个市有很多市场' (Zhège shì yǒu hěn duō shìchǎng), meaning 'This city has many markets.'
It is pronounced as 'shì', with a falling tone.
市 refers specifically to a market or trade area, while 城 refers to the urban area or city itself.
Yes, 市 can refer to a city, but it's often used in the context of commerce or markets.
