石 shí / dàn — 10 pecks; rock; stone
小河里有很多光滑的石头。Xiǎo hé lǐ yǒu hěn duō guāng huá de shí tou.There are many smooth stones in the little river.
Common words: 石油 (shí yóu)、石头 (shí tou)、宝石 (bǎo shí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "stone"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "stone", including 石 (shí / dàn), 核 (hé). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "stone" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 石 (shí / dàn), 核 (hé) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shí, dàn, hé — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 石 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 石 shí / dàn10 pecks; rock; stoneUseful words: 石油, 石头
- 核 hénuclear; atomic; stone (of fruit)Useful words: 核心, 考核
Common words for these 2 "stone" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 石 (shí / dàn) — so "stone" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "stone".
核 hé — nuclear; atomic; stone (of fruit)
苹果核里有几颗种子。Píng guǒ hé lǐ yǒu jǐ kē zhǒng zi.There are a few seeds in the apple core.
Common words: 核心 (hé xīn)、考核 (kǎo hé)、核武器 (hé wǔ qì)
All 2 characters
Open 石、核 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.