How to write 是 (shì, “to be”)

是 (shì), an HSK 1 character, means “to be”, “correct” and “very well”. It is a character whose parts combine into its meaning. On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 还是 (“still”), 但是 (“but”) and 只是 (“merely”). Japanese reads it ze, “just so”, as a JLPT N1 kanji.

Pinyin: shì
Strokes: 9
HSK: 1
Radical: 日 (“sun”)

Stroke by stroke

As a top-bottom character it splits into 日 (“sun”, the radical), strokes 1–4; 疋 (“foot”), strokes 5–9, written the top first.

Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
Right-falling stroke ㇏bottom leftdown and right → rightwards

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 9 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 9 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 9 strokes

Where 是 comes from

To speak 日 directly 疋

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
shì fourth tone	to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion)	—	但是只是可是总是

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 1
2021 standard: level 1
HSK 2.0: in a level 1 word
Words with it: 102 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 是

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
是	shì	to be (followed by substantives only); correct HSK 1
还是還是	háishi	still; had better HSK 2
但是	dànshì	but; however HSK 2
只是	zhǐshì	merely; only HSK 3
可是	kěshì	but; however HSK 3
总是總是	zǒngshì	always HSK 3
老是	lǎoshì	always HSK 4
要是	yàoshi	if HSK 4
就是	jiùshì	exactly; precisely HSK 4
于是於是	yúshì	thereupon; as a result HSK 4

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Contain it:

HSK 1, in list order: