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撕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
撕sīto tearHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #3693, Hard
撕sīto rip, to tear; to buy clothHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #3693, Hard
sī(si1) T1
  1. 1to tear
  2. 2to rip, to tear; to buy cloth
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March 24, 2026
撕sī(si1)

The character 撕 (sī) means 'to tear' or 'to rip.' It is commonly used in contexts involving physical tearing, such as ripping paper or fabric. This verb can also imply the act of tearing something apart emotionally or metaphorically, which adds a nuanced layer to its usage.

Strokes15Radical扌Frequency#3693DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, tearing paper can have symbolic meanings, such as tearing away bad luck or misfortune. This is often seen in practices during celebrations or rituals.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong breeze (the radical 扌, meaning hand) ripping a piece of paper apart. The sound of the paper tearing is like 'sī' – think of a 'sizzling' sound as it rips, helping you remember the pronunciation and meaning.

Meanings of 撕

sī(si1)
1to tear
2to rip, to tear; to buy cloth
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 撕

撕Simplified
15Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#3693Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 撕

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Podcast: 撕

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AI Study Notes for 撕

Quick Contrast

撕 (sī) vs 扯 (chě) — use 撕 when emphasizing a clean tear, while 扯 implies pulling or tugging rather than a precise ripping action.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a strong breeze (the radical 扌, meaning hand) ripping a piece of paper apart. The sound of the paper tearing is like 'sī' – think of a 'sizzling' sound as it rips, helping you remember the pronunciation and meaning.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 撕 (sī) with other verbs that also imply breaking or damaging, such as 破 (pò), which means 'to break' more generally. It's used in informal contexts, so avoid using it in very formal writing. Common collocations include 撕纸 (sī zhǐ, to tear paper) and 撕心裂肺 (sī xīn liè fèi, to tear one's heart apart).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 撕 connects with other action verbs related to physical actions, such as 打 (dǎ, to hit) and 拿 (ná, to take). Focus on using 撕 in various sentence structures to express different contexts of tearing.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, tearing paper can have symbolic meanings, such as tearing away bad luck or misfortune. This is often seen in practices during celebrations or rituals.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 撕 (sī) with 破 (pò), thinking they are interchangeable. For example, saying '我破了这张纸' (wǒ pò le zhè zhāng zhǐ) is incorrect for tearing; it should be '我撕了这张纸' (wǒ sī le zhè zhāng zhǐ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 撕

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Etymology of 撕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 斯 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hand

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 撕?

Decomposition of 撕

IDS Structure⿰扌斯
撕Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
斯Si1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 撕?

Write 撕

撕

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

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Grammar Patterns of 撕

撕 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 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons2
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

This construction emphasizes the action of tearing.

这是我撕的。

Zhè shì wǒ sī de.

This is what I tore.

Exercise 1 of 1

Build the Sentence

This is what I tore.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Common Confusions with 撕

撕vs撇
piē

Similar shape with different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to tear"?

or

Usage Notes for 撕

Mixing up with similar verbsCommon Error

Learners often confuse 撕 with other similar verbs that describe actions involving fabric or paper, such as 砍 (to chop) and 剪 (to cut).

1

他不是在剪纸，他是在撕纸。

He is not cutting the paper, he is tearing the paper.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

他不是在剪纸，他是在____纸。

He is not cutting the paper, he is tearing the paper.

Example Sentences for 撕 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
画面中一只狐狸正被一群猎狗撕咬得肠子外流。

huà miàn zhōng yī zhī hú lí zhèng bèi yī qún liè gǒu sī yǎo dé cháng zǐ wài liú。

It shows a fox being disembowelled by a pack of hounds.
2
他把煮好的鸡肉撕开就开始吃起来.

tā bǎ zhǔ hǎo de jī ròu sī kāi jiù kāi shǐ chī qǐ lái.

He tore the cooked chicken apart and began to eat it.
3
你认为你能把这撕破的窗帘补好 吗 ?

nǐ rèn wéi nǐ néng bǎ zhè sī pò de chuāng lián bǔ hǎo?

Do you think you can piece this torn curtain?
4
检查员撕开了那包香烟。

jiǎn chá yuán sī kāi le nà bāo xiāng yān。

The Inspector opened the packet of cigarettes.
5
肌肉撕裂复原后会留下疤痕。

jī ròu sī liè fù yuán hòu huì liú xià bā hén。

A muscle tear will leave a scar after healing.
6
如果我们写信的话，我想他会把信撕得粉碎。

rú guǒ wǒ mén xiě xìn de huà， ， wǒ xiǎng tā huì bǎ xìn sī dé fěn。

If we wrote I think he would rip up the letter.
7
他的头上缠满了一层层用床单撕成的绷带。

tā de tóu shàng chán mǎn le yī céng céng yòng chuáng dān sī chéng de bēng dài。

His head was swathed in bandages made from a torn sheet.
8
他上岸去了，留下我修理被撕破的船帆。

tā shàng àn qù le， ， liú xià wǒ xiū lǐ bèi sī pò de chuán。

He went ashore leaving me to start repairing the torn sail.
9
他撕开信封,看了里面的信.

tā sī kāi xìn fēng, , kàn le lǐ miàn de.

He ripped open the envelope and read what was inside.
10
她撕下两格纸巾，然后纵向对折。

tā sī xià liǎng gé zhǐ jīn， ， rán hòu zòng xiàng duì。

She tore off two sections of paper towel and folded them lengthwise.

Cultural Notes for 撕

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, tearing paper can have symbolic meanings, such as tearing away bad luck or misfortune. This is often seen in practices during celebrations or rituals.

Word Family of 撕

Words Containing This Character10
撕sīto tear
撕裂to tear
撕碎to tear to shreds
撕破to tear
撕毁to tear up撕毀
撕扯to tear apart
撕掉to rip away
撕票lit. to tear the ticket
撕破脸皮to have an acrimonious falling-out撕破臉皮
撕破脸to have an acrimonious falling-out撕破臉
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 撕 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 撕

You can say '我撕了这张纸' (wǒ sī le zhè zhāng zhǐ), meaning 'I tore this piece of paper.'