shì
verb #8,233

Meanings

  1. 1 to show; to reveal; to indicate

Examples

Lǎoshī gěi wǒmen zuò le shìfàn.
The teacher gave us a demonstration.
Qǐng chūshì nǐ de zhèngjiàn.
Please show your ID.

Tips

usage
is a key radical (示字旁 / ) and component: 表示 (to express/indicate), 显示 (to display), 示范 (to demonstrate), 暗示 (to hint), 提示 (to prompt/remind).

Components

pictograph
shì
altar; to show
Pictograph of a stone sacrificial altar — the top horizontal lines depict the flat upper stones, and the three downward strokes depict the legs of the pedestal where gods were addressed. From this 'altar where the divine is revealed' came the verb sense 'to show.' Kangxi radical #113, parent of the spirit family — god, ancestor, sacrifice, ritual.

Stroke Order

shì