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March 24, 2026
师(師)Shī(Shi1)
The character 师 (shī) primarily means 'teacher' or 'master', indicating someone with expertise in a certain field. It is commonly used in educational contexts and also signifies a model or example to be followed. Additionally, it can refer to military divisions or troops in historical contexts.
Strokes6Radical巾Frequency#1568DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of a teacher (师) is highly revered, often viewed as a guide not just in academics but also in moral and ethical development. The saying '师者，传道授业解惑也' emphasizes the teacher's role in imparting knowledge and resolving confusion.
Memory Tip
Imagine a wise old teacher (师) standing at the front of a classroom, with a long beard representing wisdom. The character resembles a person with arms outstretched, guiding students, embodying the essence of teaching and mastery.
Meanings of 师
Shī(Shi1)
1teacher
2master
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 师
师Simplified
師Traditional
6Strokes
巾Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#1568Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2
Podcast: 师
Podcast: 师
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AI Study Notes for 师
Quick Contrast
教师 (jiàoshī, teacher) vs 导师 (dǎoshī, mentor) — use 师 for general or military contexts, while 教师 is specific to formal education and 导师 implies a guiding role.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 师 with similar characters like 师父 (shīfu), which specifically means 'master' in a martial arts context. The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it with a high level tone to convey the correct meaning. Common collocations include '老师' (lǎoshī) for 'teacher' and '师傅' (shīfu) for 'master' or 'expert'.
HSK Study Tips
While 师 is not listed in the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with HSK Level 2 and 3 words like '老师' (lǎoshī, teacher) and '学' (xué, to learn). Focus on using it in phrases and understanding its role in educational contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 师 in informal contexts where 老师 (lǎoshī) would be more appropriate, such as saying '我师' instead of '我老师' for 'my teacher'. Additionally, confusing it with similar-sounding words can lead to misunderstandings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 师
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2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 师? 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 师?
Decomposition of 师
IDS Structure⿰刂帀
师Full Character
=
刂dao1
left
帀za1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 师?
How to say teacher in Chinese
“teacher” in Chinese is师Shī
The character 师 (shī) primarily means 'teacher' or 'master', indicating someone with expertise in a certain field. It is commonly used in educational contexts and also signifies a model or example to be followed. Additionally, it can refer to military divisions or troops in historical contexts.
When to use 师
Be careful not to confuse 师 with similar characters like 师父 (shīfu), which specifically means 'master' in a martial arts context. The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it with a high level tone to convey the correct meaning. Common collocations include '老师' (lǎoshī) for 'teacher' and '师傅' (shīfu) for 'master' or 'expert'.
师 or something close to it
教师 (jiàoshī, teacher) vs 导师 (dǎoshī, mentor) — use 师 for general or military contexts, while 教师 is specific to formal education and 导师 implies a guiding role.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 师 in informal contexts where 老师 (lǎoshī) would be more appropriate, such as saying '我师' instead of '我老师' for 'my teacher'. Additionally, confusing it with similar-sounding words can lead to misunderstandings.
Write 师
师
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Practice writing 师 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 师
师 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 9 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.
