How to Write 氏 (shì) — Meaning “clan / family name”

Imagine a person bending forward with a long necktie (the top horizontal stroke) dangling down, representing a family crest. The three lower strokes form the body and legs, making the character look like a polite bow. This helps you remember 氏 means 'clan' or 'family name' because families bow to honor their ancestors.

Start with the top horizontal stroke from left to right, then the second shorter horizontal stroke below it. Next write a vertical stroke that curves slightly left, and finally a short diagonal stroke on the bottom right. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke too straight or the bottom right stroke too long; keep proportions balanced.

氏 has a simple 4-stroke structure with only one dot-like stroke at the bottom right. 氐 (dǐ) adds a horizontal stroke at the bottom (6 strokes) and means 'foundation' or 'base'. 民 (mín) has a different shape with a hook on the right and means 'people'. Focus on the bottom right: 氏 ends with a short diagonal, while 氐 has a full bottom line.

氏 is commonly used in the word 姓氏 (xìng shì) for 'surname' and appears in 氏族 (shì zú) for 'clan' in historical or anthropological contexts. It is also part of 摄氏度 (shè shì dù) for 'degrees Celsius', named after the Swedish astronomer Celsius. While not in HSK, you will often see it on family certificates or in formal introductions of one's lineage.

Common words containing 氏 include: 姓氏 (xìng shì) — Surname; family name; 摄氏度 (shè shì dù) — degrees Celsius; 氏族 (shì zú) — clan.