Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

history

Chinese: 历史、史书。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “shi” becomes a different word in each tone. 史 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 历史lì shǐhistory
  • 史无前例shǐ wú qián lì(idiom) unprecedented in history
  • 史上shǐ shàngin history
  • 国史guó shǐnational history; dynastic history
  • 地史dì shǐearth history; geological history

Example Sentence

这座城市有很长的历史。Zhè zuò chéng shì yǒu hěn cháng de lì shǐ.This city has a long history.

Zhèthiszuòseat城市chéng shìcityyǒuto havehěnverychánglongdeof历史lì shǐhistory

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

A hand (又) holding a tablet/recording implement (中): the official who records — ‘history; a chronicle; a recorder, historian; a common surname’ (历史, 史书, 历史学).

A way to remember it

A hand holding the record — history (历史).