私 (sī) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 私 (sī) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 私 (sī) means "private; personal; selfish". It is an HSK Level 5 character, with 7 strokes and the radical 禾.

Q: How do you write 私 stroke by stroke?

私 has 7 strokes. The radical is 禾. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 私 and 禾?

私 (sī) and 禾 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 私?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 禾. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 私?

Common words containing 私 include: 私人 (sī rén) — private; personal; 无私 (wú sī) — Selfless; 隐私 (yǐn sī) — privacy.

How to Write 私

The character 私 (sī) is written with 7 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 禾 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.

Meaning & Pronunciation

私 is pronounced sī in Mandarin Chinese. It means private; personal; selfish.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 私 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 私

私人 sī rén

private; personal

无私 wú sī

Selfless

隐私 yǐn sī

privacy

Example Sentences

这是我的私人电话。

zhè shì wǒ de sī rén diàn huà

This is my private phone number.

老师的爱是无私的。

lǎo shī de ài shì wú sī de

The teacher's love is selfless.

我们要尊重他人隐私。

wǒ men yào zūn zhòng tā rén yǐn sī

We should respect others' privacy.

Similar Characters

禾 hé

秀 xiù

秃 tū

Practice Writing 私 (sī)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 私 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 私

What does 私 (sī) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 私 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 私 and 禾?

What mistakes do learners make writing 私?

What common words use 私?

How to Write 私 (sī)