Hanzi Writer

How to Write 申 (shēn) — Meaning “to state; to explain”

shēn HSK Level 4 5 strokes Radical: 田

申 (shēn) means "to state; to explain" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical 田, and is HSK Level 4.

Rated 2.7/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 7% of HSK Level 4 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 申请 (shēn qǐng), 申报 (shēn bào), 申明 (shēn míng).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 申 with correct proportion and order.

Stroke order practice for 申 - shēn

Practice Writing 申 (shēn)

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

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How to Write 申

The character 申 (shēn) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 田 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 shēn (申) Mean in Chinese?

申 means to state; to explain.

As an HSK Level 4 character, 申 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character申
Pinyinshēn (shen)
Meaningto state; to explain
Strokes5
Radical田
HSK Level4
Difficulty2.7/5

Origin of 申

Originally, 申 was a pictograph of a lightning bolt zigzagging across the sky—showing the flash extending outward. Later, this image of 'extending' gave rise to the meaning 'to state, explain', as in stretching out one’s words. The modern form resembles a line piercing through a field (田), suggesting a clear expression that cuts to the point.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a lightning bolt (the central stroke) striking through a square field (田), as if declaring 'I state my claim here!'

Common Words with 申

申请 shēn qǐng
to apply; application
申报 shēn bào
to declare; to report
申明 shēn míng
to state clearly; to declare

Example Sentences

我在申请去中国留学。

wǒ zài shēn qǐng qù zhōng guó liú xué

I am applying to study in China.

入境时需要申报物品。

rù jìng shí xū yào shēn bào wù pǐn

Items must be declared when entering the country.

他再次申明了自己的立场。

tā zài cì shēn míng liǎo zì jǐ de lì chǎng

He restated his position once again.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
申 (current) shēn 5 田
田 tián 5 田
由 yóu 5 田
甲 jiǎ 5 田
Stroke order practice for 申 - shēn

Practice Writing 申 (shēn)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 申

申 is composed of a vertical line going through the radical 田 (field), suggesting something emerging from or passing through a field. This relates to the meaning "to state" or "to explain" because explaining something is like drawing out thoughts clearly.

More HSK Level 4 Characters

阿ā/ē姨yí矮ǎi置zhì暗àn巴ba/bā士shì货huò摆bǎi脱tuō败bài裹guǒ含hán括kuò薄báo/bó/bò宝bǎo贝bèi密mì守shǒu抱bào

Characters with Radical 田

田tián由yóu甲jiǎ甴zhá男nán甸diān/diàn甹pīng町tīng画huà甾zāi

Other 5-Stroke Characters

㐌yí㐱zhěn㢟chān且qiě丕pī世shì丘qiū丙bǐng业yè丛cóng