How to Write 拾 (shè/shí) — Meaning “to pick up; ten (formal)”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 拾?

Imagine your hand (扌) reaching out to "pick up" a piece of food and then putting it in your mouth to "combine" (合) with your body. This picture connects the left hand radical with the right 合 part.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing the character 拾?

Pay attention to the left radical 扌: the first horizontal stroke is slightly shorter than the top of the right part. Also, in the right part 合, write the top as a person shape (亼) before adding the 口 below, and keep the 口 centered.

Q: How can I tell 拾 apart from the similar characters 㧜 and 扭?

拾 has 合 on the right and means "to pick up," while 扭 has 丑 on the right and means "to twist." 㧜 is a very rare character, but visually it has a different right component (束) and is not used in everyday Chinese.

Q: When and how is 拾 used in modern Chinese, and is there any cultural note?

拾 is common in words like 收拾 (to tidy up) and 拾取 (to collect). It is also the formal character for the number ten (shí) and is used on banknotes or checks to prevent forgery, just like 壹 for one.

Q: What common words use 拾?

Common words containing 拾 include: 拾取 (shí qǔ) — to pick up; to collect; 收拾 (shōu shí) — to tidy up; to pack; to punish; 拾级而上 (shè jí ér shàng) — to walk up the steps one by one.

shè/shí HSK Level 5 9 strokes Radical: 扌

拾 (shè/shí) means "to pick up; ten (formal)" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 扌, and is HSK Level 5.

Rated 4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 50% of HSK Level 5 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 拾取 (shí qǔ), 收拾 (shōu shí), 拾级而上 (shè jí ér shàng).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 拾 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 拾 (shè/shí)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 拾 with real-time feedback.

App Store ▶ Google Play

How to Write 拾

The character 拾 (shè/shí) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 扌 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does shè/shí (拾) Mean in Chinese?

拾 means to pick up; ten (formal).

This is a polyphonic character with readings: shè, shí.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 拾 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	拾
Pinyin	shè / shí (she/shi)
Meaning	to pick up; ten (formal)
Strokes	9
Radical	扌
HSK Level	5
Difficulty	4/5

Origin of 拾

拾 is a compound character: the radical 扌 (hand) indicates an action, while 合 (to join, fit together) adds phonetic hints. Its original meaning is 'to pick up' with the hand, and it is also used as the formal, fraud-resistant version of 'ten' (十) on documents.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hand (扌) picking up ten (十) fallen coins and fitting them together (合) into a neat stack.

Common Words with 拾

拾取 shí qǔ

to pick up; to collect

收拾 shōu shí

to tidy up; to pack; to punish

拾级而上 shè jí ér shàng

to walk up the steps one by one

Example Sentences

环卫工人正在街道上拾取散落的废纸。

huán wèi gōng rén zhèng zài jiē dào shàng shí qǔ sàn luò de fèi zhǐ

Sanitation workers are picking up scattered waste paper on the street.

请在离开前把你的个人物品收拾干净。

qǐng zài lí kāi qián bǎ nǐ de gè rén wù pǐn shōu shí gān jìng

Please pack up your personal belongings before leaving.

游人们沿着石阶拾级而上，终于到达山顶。

yóu rén men yán zhe shí jiē shè jí ér shàng zhōng yú dào dá shān dǐng

Tourists climbed the stone steps one by one and finally reached the summit.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
拾 (current)	shè / shí	9	扌
扭	niǔ	7	扌
扮	bàn	7	扌
扯	chě	7	扌

Practice Writing 拾 (shè/shí)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 拾 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 拾

How is the character 拾 structured, and how do its parts relate to its meaning?

The left side is the radical 扌, meaning "hand," which shows the action involves the hand. The right side is 合 (hé), meaning "to combine" or "together," so 拾 visually suggests using your hand to bring things together, which relates to "picking up."

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 拾?

What should I watch out for when writing the character 拾?

How can I tell 拾 apart from the similar characters 㧜 and 扭?

When and how is 拾 used in modern Chinese, and is there any cultural note?

What common words use 拾?

How to Write 拾 (shè/shí) — Meaning “to pick up; ten (formal)”

Practice Writing 拾 (shè/shí)

How to Write 拾

What Does shè/shí (拾) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 拾

Common Words with 拾

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 拾 (shè/shí)

Frequently Asked Questions about 拾

More HSK Level 5 Characters

Characters with Radical 扌

Other 9-Stroke Characters