How to Write 施 (shī) — Meaning “to carry out, to apply”

Picture a flag (方) waving over a construction site, with the right side 㐌 looking like a crane lifting materials. This image reminds you that 施 means to carry out actions like construction (施工) or applying measures.

Write the left radical 方 first: dot, horizontal, left-falling stroke, then horizontal hook. Then the right part starts with a left-falling stroke, followed by horizontal, vertical, and horizontal hook. A common mistake is making the right side too large; keep both sides balanced and similar in height.

施 (shī) has the radical 方 alone on the left and means "to carry out." 旁 (páng) has a dot (亠) on top of 方 and means "side" or "beside." The rare character 斿 (yóu) has a different right component (㐬) and is not used in modern Chinese, so you will almost never encounter it.

施 is common in formal and technical words like 施工 (construction), 设施 (facilities), and 措施 (measures). It also appears in expressions like 施加 (to exert) and can be a surname. Culturally, it is often used in idioms about carrying out plans or showing kindness, such as 施恩 (to show favor).

Common words containing 施 include: 施工 (shī gōng) — construction; 设施 (shè shī) — Facilities / Infrastructure; 措施 (cuò shī) — measures; steps; actions.