示
contributes the sense of spirits · Kangxi radical 113
contributes the sense of spirits, sacrifice and ritual — things shown or offered to the gods
示 was a picture of an altar: a stone table with a flat top and a supporting stand, where offerings were laid out for ancestors and spirits. In the modern shape you can still read the top strokes as the tabletop and the vertical stroke with two short legs as the stand beneath it. This is why it sits in 宗 (ancestral shrine, an altar under a roof), 祭 (offering meat at the altar), 祟 (a spirit bringing harm) and 禁 (what ritual forbids). When squeezed to the left of a character it shrinks to 礻, and in a few characters like 奈, 柰 and 尉 the 示 shape is a later flattening of something else rather than a real altar.
示 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of spirits
- Strokes
- 5
- Characters
- 15
- Role
- Usually contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 113
Characters with 示 (14 of 15)
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 5 · 3
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 示 mean?
示 means "contributes the sense of spirits". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 示?
15 characters in this dictionary contain 示, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5.
Is 示 a radical?
Yes — 示 is Kangxi radical 113, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 示 have?
示 is written in 5 strokes.