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How to Write 蓍 (shī) — Meaning “Yarrow”

shī 13 strokes Radical: 艹

蓍 (shī) means "Yarrow" in Chinese. It has 13 strokes with the radical 艹.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Appears in 3+ common words including 蓍草 (shī cǎo), 蓍龟 (shī guī), 蓍占 (shī zhān).

Due to its 13 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 蓍 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 蓍 - shī

Practice Writing 蓍 (shī)

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How to Write 蓍

The character 蓍 (shī) is written with 13 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 艹 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 shī (蓍) Mean in Chinese?

蓍 means Yarrow.

Character Data

Character蓍
Pinyinshī (shi)
MeaningYarrow
Strokes13
Radical艹
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 蓍

蓍 is a phono-semantic compound, with the radical 艹 (grass) indicating it is a plant, and 耆 (qí, meaning 'aged' or 'old') providing the pronunciation. Yarrow was traditionally used in the ancient Chinese divination practice of the Yijing, linking the 'old' component to the plant's ancient ritual significance.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture an old sage (耆) sitting on a patch of grass (艹) meticulously counting yarrow stalks to predict the future.

Common Words with 蓍

蓍草 shī cǎo
Yarrow plant
蓍龟 shī guī
Yarrow and tortoise shell (divination tools)
蓍占 shī zhān
Yarrow divination

Example Sentences

蓍草是一种常见的植物。

shī cǎo shì yī zhǒng cháng jiàn de zhí wù

Yarrow is a common plant.

古人用蓍龟来占卜。

gǔ rén yòng shī guī lái zhān bǔ

Ancient people used milfoil and tortoise shells for divination.

蓍占是古代的一种习俗。

shī zhān shì gǔ dài de yī zhǒng xí sú

Yarrow divination is an ancient custom.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
蓍 (current) shī 13 艹
莿 cì 12 艹
菀 wǎn 11 艹
菁 jīng 11 艹
Stroke order practice for 蓍 - shī

Practice Writing 蓍 (shī)

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Frequently Asked Questions about 蓍

蓍 has the grass radical 艹 on top, indicating it is a plant, and the phonetic component 耆 below, which suggests the pronunciation shī. The grass radical directly connects to yarrow being a herb, while the bottom part primarily provides the sound.

Characters with Radical 艹

䕭qián兹zī艺yì艻lè艽jiāo艾ài/yì艿nǎi节jiē/jié芄wán芈mǐ

Other 13-Stroke Characters

䧹yīng亶dǎn催cuī傺chì傻shǎ傿yàn像xiàng剽piāo剿jiǎo勤qín