How to Write 舐 (shì) — Meaning “To lick”

Imagine a person (氏) using their tongue (舌) to lick an ice cream cone. The shape of 氏 can also be seen as a small animal, so you might picture a tongue licking a baby animal, which connects to the common word 舐犊 (licking the calf).

Write the left part 舌 first with 6 strokes, then the right part 氏 with 4 strokes. Pay attention to the hook at the bottom of 氏 — it should curve left, not be written like 民. Keep the left side slightly narrow and the right side balanced.

舍 (shě) means 'to give up' or 'to abandon' and has a roof radical (人+口), no tongue component. 舒 (shū) means 'comfortable' or 'to stretch' and combines 舍 with 予 (to give). 舐 specifically involves the tongue and the action of licking, so it is visually and semantically distinct.

舐 is not common in daily conversation but appears in formal or literary contexts, especially in the idiom 舐犊情深 (shì dú qíng shēn), which describes deep parental love, based on a cow licking her calf. It can also be used in biological descriptions of animals licking themselves or objects.

Common words containing 舐 include: 舐犊 (shì dú) — To lick the calf (parental love); 舐一舐 (shì yī shì) — To take a lick; 舐唇 (shì chún) — To lick one's lips.