识 (shí) — to know; to recognize
Definition
识 (shí) means 'to recognize / be acquainted with' — a person, place, or character — and pairs with 认 as the verb in 认识/认得. More literary than 认识; for identifying or distinguishing use 识别.
verb
to knowto recognize
Examples
- ，？Wǒ bú rèn shí lù, nǐ néng dài wǒ qù ma?I don't know the way; can you take me there?
- ？Nǐ rèn shí zhè ge rén ma?Do you know this person?
- 。Tā rèn shí hěn duō hàn zì.He knows many Chinese characters.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 識; 识 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí識zhì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 識 pairs 言 (say) with 戠 as a sound part; the simplified 识 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.
Appears in
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