十字

shízì
noun #8,890

Meanings

  1. 1 cross; cross-shaped
  2. 2 the character 十; crossroads

Characters

The character looks like a cross (+), so 十字 means 'cross shape.'

Examples

Qiánmiàn yǒu yī gè shízì lùkǒu.
There's a crossroads up ahead.
Hóng Shízìhuì zài zhèlǐ shè le yī gè jiùzhù zhàn.
The Red Cross set up a relief station here.
Qiáng shàng guà zhe yī gè shízìjià.
There's a cross hanging on the wall.

Tips

usage
十字 appears in many compounds: 十字路口 (crossroads), 十字架 (crucifix), 红十字会 (Red Cross). It describes anything cross-shaped, not the number ten.

In Pop Culture

红十字会 Hóng Shízìhuì
Red Cross
International humanitarian organization

Stroke Order

shí