How to Write 司 (sī) — Meaning “to manage, department”

Picture a boss (上司) wearing a hat—the top hook is the hat, and the mouth below is the boss giving instructions. So remember '司' as 'a manager’s mouth under a hat'.

Write the top horizontal hook first (one stroke), then the mouth with three strokes: left vertical, top and right sides, bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the hook too long or the mouth too wide—keep the mouth narrow and centered under the hook.

口 is just a mouth shape with no top part. 卟 has a 卜 (divination symbol) above the mouth, not a hook. 司’s unique top hook sets it apart, and unlike 卟 (rare), 司 appears in common words like 公司 (company) and 司机 (driver).

司 appears in words for organizations and job roles, such as 公司 (company), 司机 (driver), and 上司 (boss). Culturally, in ancient China, 司 referred to government officials in charge of specific tasks—this still shows in modern terms like 外交部 (Foreign Ministry) using 部, but some bureaus are called 司.

Common words containing 司 include: 公司 (gōng sī) — Company; 司机 (sī jī) — driver; 上司 (shàng sī) — Superior; boss.