How to Write 伸 (shēn) — Meaning “to stretch; to extend”

Picture a person (亻) stretching their arm upward like a lightning bolt (申) reaching across the sky. The vertical stroke in 申 looks like an arm stretching out, helping you remember the meaning 'to stretch'.

Write the left radical 亻 first, with a short left-slanting stroke then a longer vertical stroke. For the right part 申, make sure the middle horizontal stroke is centered and the vertical line passes through all three horizontals, without making the top and bottom horizontals too long.

All three use the person radical 亻, but their right parts differ: 伸 has 申 (meaning stretch), 仔 has 子 (meaning child), and 仕 has 士 (meaning scholar). While 伸 means to stretch or extend, 仔 means 'young' or 'son,' and 仕 means 'to serve as an official.'

伸 appears in everyday expressions like 伸手 (shēn shǒu, to reach out one's hand) and 伸展 (shēn zhǎn, to stretch). It is also used in more formal contexts such as 延伸 (yán shēn, to extend), often describing roads, borders, or time periods stretching outward.

Common words containing 伸 include: 伸手 (shēn shǒu) — to reach out one's hand; 伸展 (shēn zhǎn) — to stretch; to extend; 延伸 (yán shēn) — To extend / To stretch.