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巳

sì
noun #32,250

Meanings

  1. 1 the sixth of the twelve Earthly Branches (associated with the Snake)
  2. 2 the hours 9-11 a.m. (in the traditional Chinese double-hour system)
  3. 3 the fourth lunar month

Examples

今年是辛巳年。
Jīnnián shì xīn sì nián.
This year is the year of Xīn-Sì (in the sexagenary cycle).
古人在巳时开始处理公务。
Gǔrén zài sìshí kāishǐ chǔlǐ gōngwù.
The ancients started attending to official business at the Sì hour (9-11 a.m.).

Tips

culture
Sixth of the 十二地支 (twelve Earthly Branches), paired with the snake (蛇) in the zodiac. Combined with the ten Heavenly Stems (天干), 巳 forms part of names for years (辛巳, 癸巳…), months, and double-hours in the traditional sexagenary calendar. The double-hour 巳时 covers 9-11 a.m.
mistakes
Visually nearly identical to 已 (yǐ, 'already') and 己 (jǐ, 'self') — students mix them up constantly. Mnemonic: 巳 is fully closed at the top (a snake curled in an egg, sealed shut); 已 is half-open; 己 is fully open. The folk rhyme is 「开口己，半口已，闭口巳」.

Stroke Order

巳 sì