How to Write 石 (shí) — Meaning “Stone; rock.”

Imagine a stone under a cliff: the top horizontal line is the cliff edge, the left stroke is the cliff side, and the lower box is the stone itself. You can also think of the pinyin "shí" as sounding like "she" — picture a woman named She throwing a stone.

The stroke order is: horizontal (first), left-falling (second), horizontal (third), vertical (fourth), horizontal (fifth). A common mistake is making the bottom "mouth" part too wide or the vertical stroke off-center — keep the lower part narrow and centered under the top horizontal.

石 means stone or rock in general, while 矶 specifically refers to a rock or boulder in or near water (like a reef). Visually, 矶 adds the component 几 (jǐ) on the right side, making it a left-right structure, whereas 石 is a single standalone character.

石 appears in everyday words like 石头 (shí tou, stone), 石油 (shí yóu, petroleum), and 宝石 (bǎo shí, gemstone). In Chinese culture, stone is valued in traditional gardens and calligraphy seal carving — a well-chosen rock can symbolize strength and endurance.

Common words containing 石 include: 石头 (shí tou) — stone; 石油 (shí yóu) — petroleum; 宝石 (bǎo shí) — Gemstone.