识 (shí): to know, knowledge
识 (shí) is a Chinese character meaning “to know, knowledge.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 讠 (semantic) and 只 (phonetic). It ranks #340 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 识 speech. Its radical form 讠 (speech) appears in many related characters such as 认 (rèn, to recognize, to admit), 记 (jì, to remember, to record), 诉 (sù, to complain).
Definitions
- to know, knowledge
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 识 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 识
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 认识verb | rèn shi | to know | 1 |
| 意识verb/noun | yì shí | consciousness | 5 |
| 知识noun | zhī shi | knowledge | 4 |
| 识别verb | shí bié | to distinguish | 6 |
| 常识noun | cháng shí | common sense | 5 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 见识verb | jiàn shi | to gain first-hand knowledge of sth |
| 共识noun | gòng shí | common understanding |
| 潜意识noun | qián yì shí | unconscious mind |
| 相识verb | xiāng shí | to get to know each other |
| 识字verb | shí zì | to learn to read |
| 结识verb | jié shí | to get to know sb |
| 标识 | biāo shí | identifying mark, sign, label etc |
| 似曾相识phrase | sì céng xiāng shí | déjà vu (the experience of seeing exactly the same situation a second time) |
| 识破verb | shí pò | to penetrate |
| 辨识verb | biàn shí | identification |
| 赏识verb | shǎng shí | to appreciate |
| 胆识noun | dǎn shí | courage and insight |
| 熟识verb | shú shi | to be well acquainted with |
| 无意识adjective | wú yì shí | unconscious |
| 下意识adjective | xià yì shí | subconscious mind |
识 appears in 100 compound words: 20 as the first character, 47 as the last, and 33 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 识 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (28)
to show no understanding of the times; to not be able to adapt to current circumstances; to lack judgement
to fail to appreciate somebody's kindness; to be unable to appreciate favors; to not recognize a favor
can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
to fail to appreciate somebody's kindness; to be unable to appreciate favors; to not recognize a favor
Showing 12 of 28 idioms containing 识.
Example Sentences
认识新朋友可以拓展人脉，对事业发展有帮助。
Rènshi xīn péngyou kěyǐ tuòzhǎn rénmài, duì shìyè fāzhǎn yǒu bāngzhù.
Making new friends can expand your network and help career development.
青菜煮熟能过夜吗能吃吗?这些隔夜菜知识要牢记
qīng cài zhǔ shú néng guò yè ma néng chī ma ? zhè xiē gé yè cài zhī shí yāo láo jì
Can you eat greens overnight when cooked? This overnight dish knowledge should be kept in mind
探索大脑,从“头”认识你自己,从“头”理解你自己
tàn suǒ dà nǎo , cóng tóu rèn shí nǐ zì jǐ , cóng tóu lǐ jiě nǐ zì jǐ
Explore the brain and know yourself from the "head" and understand yourself from the "head"
【财圈识真假】“水记”赤马红羊年运数预测
cái juān shí zhēn jiǎ shuǐ jì chì mǎ hóng yáng nián yùn shǔ yù cè
【Financial Circle Knows True and False】"Water Record" Red Horse Red Sheep Annual Fortune Prediction
马年“识局”6 | 不想当“跛脚鸭”,特朗普能否...
mǎ nián shí jú 6 bù xiǎng dāng 跛 jiǎo yā , tè lǎng pǔ néng fǒu . . .
Year of the Horse "Knowing the Situation" 6 | Don't want to be a "lame duck", can Trump...
2026年世界知识产权报告:创新传播速度达历史新高
nián shì jiè zhī shí chǎn quán bào gào chuàng xīn chuán bō sù dù dá lì shǐ xīn gāo
World Intellectual Property Report 2026: Diffusion of Innovation at Record Pace
你记不记得我们认识的那一天？
Nǐ jì bù jìde wǒmen rènshi de nà yī tiān?
Do you remember the day we met?
你是怎么认识那个好女孩的？
Nǐ shì zěnme rènshi nàge hǎo nǚhái de?
How did you come to know such a wonderful girl?
你认识照片里的男人吗？
Nǐ rènshi zhàopiàn lǐ de nánrén ma?
Do you know this man in the picture?
你大约认识多少英文词？
Nǐ dàyuē rènshi duōshao Yīngwén cí?
About how many English words do you know?
Character Family
Semantic Family — Characters sharing the 讠 (speech) component
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 识 (shí) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 识 and 职?
How many strokes does 识 have?
What is the radical of 识?
What are the components of 识?
What are common words containing 识?
What characters sound the same as 识 (shí)?
Is 识 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 识 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.