式 (shì): type, form, pattern
式 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “type.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 弋 (structural) and 工 (structural). It ranks #303 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 式 a craftsman using an awl 弋 and a measuring square 工. Its radical form 弋 (shoot) appears in many related characters.
Definitions
- type
- form
- pattern
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA craftsman using an awl 弋 and a measuring square 工
Decomposition: ⿹弋工 (layout: surround-from-upper-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 式 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 式
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 方式noun | fāng shì | way | 4 |
| 正式adjective | zhèng shì | formal | 4 |
| 仪式noun | yí shì | ceremony | 6 |
| 形式noun | xíng shì | outer appearance | 5 |
| 模式noun | mó shì | mode | 5 |
| 款式noun | kuǎn shì | pattern | 6 |
| 开幕式noun | kāi mù shì | opening ceremony | 5 |
| 样式noun | yàng shì | type | 5 |
| 闭幕式noun | bì mù shì | closing ceremony | 5 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 老式 | lǎo shì | old-fashioned |
| 法式 | fǎ shì | rule |
| 程式 | chéng shì | form |
| 非正式 | fēi zhèng shì | unofficial |
| 方程式 | fāng chéng shì | (math.) equation |
| 公式 | gōng shì | formula |
| 新式 | xīn shì | new style |
| 英式 | yīng shì | British-style |
| 格式 | gé shì | form |
| 分子式 | fēn zǐ shì | molecular formula |
| 式样 | shì yàng | style |
| 旧式 | jiù shì | old style |
| 便携式 | biàn xié shì | portable |
| 中式 | zhòng shì | to pass the imperial examinations |
| 欧式 | ōu shì | in the European style |
式 appears in 100 compound words: 3 as the first character, 91 as the last, and 6 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 式 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (6)
Example Sentences
我在字典里查到了式字的详细解释。
wǒ zài zì diǎn lǐ chá dào le shì zì de xiáng xì xiè shì .
I looked up the detailed explanation of the character "式" in the dictionary.
2026年米兰-科尔蒂纳冬奥会闭幕式正式开始
2 0 2 6 nián mǐ lán kē ěr dì nà dōng ào huì bì mù shì zhèng shì kāi shǐ
The closing ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has officially begun
(米兰冬奥会)谷爱凌、李方慧摘得自由式滑雪女子U池金、银牌
( mǐ lán dōng ào huì ) gǔ ài líng , lǐ fāng huì zhāi dé zì yóu shì huá xuě nǚ zǐ U chí jīn , yín pái
(Milan Winter Olympics) Gu Ailing and Li Fanghui won gold and silver medals in the women's U pool in freestyle skiing
在米兰,冰雪赛场藏着中国式浪漫
zài mǐ lán , bīng xuě sài chǎng zàng zhe zhōng guó shì làng màn
In Milan, the ice and snow arena hides Chinese romance
自由式滑雪男子U型场地技巧预赛结束 4名中国选...
zì yóu shì huá xuě nán zǐ U xíng chǎng dì jì qiǎo yù sài jié shù 4 míng zhōng guó xuǎn . . .
Freestyle skiing men's halfpipe skills preliminaries ended with 4 Chinese selections...
【城事】外滩开关式人墙再次启用,分流客流确保平台上..
chéng shì wài tān kāi guān shì rén qiáng zài cì qǐ yòng , fēn liú kè liú què bǎo píng tái shàng . .
【City Affairs】The Bund switch-type human wall is used again to divert passenger flow to ensure that the platform is ensured:
你最喜欢用什么方式煮马铃薯？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan yòng shénme fāngshì zhǔ mǎlíngshǔ?
What's your favorite way to cook potatoes?
死是唯一的解脱方式吗？
Sǐ shì wéiyī de jiětuō fāngshì ma?
Is death the only possible exemption?
什么是格式塔疗法？
Shénme shì Géshìtǎ liáofǎ?
What is Gestalt Therapy?
你会参加这个仪式吗?
Nǐ huì cānjiā zhège yíshì ma?
Will you take part in the ceremony?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 式 (shì) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 式 have?
What is the radical of 式?
What are the components of 式?
What are common words containing 式?
What characters sound the same as 式 (shì)?
Is 式 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 式 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.