Dictionary › 石

石

shí

HSK 5 Character

What 石 means

1. rock
2. stone
3. stone inscription
4. one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments {八音|bā yīn}

Other readings

石 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• dàndry measure for grain equal to ten dou {斗|dǒu}; one hundred liters; ancient pr. shí
• Shísurname Shi; abbr. for Shijiazhuang {石家庄|Shí jiā zhuāng}, the capital of Hebei

Example sentences

• 一石二鸟。
  Yīshí'èrniǎo.
  Kill two birds with one stone.
• 滴水穿石。
  Constant dripping wears away a stone.
• 水滴石穿。
  Constant dripping wears away a stone.
• 他铁石心肠。
  Tā tiěshíxīncháng.
  He has a heart of stone.
• 滚石不生苔。
  Gǔnshí bù shēngtái.
  A rolling stone gathers no moss.
• 该国盛产石油。
  Gāi guó shèngchǎn shíyóu.
  That country abounds in oil.

Words starting with 石

• 石头shí toustone
• 石油shí yóuoil; petroleum
• 石板shí bǎnslab; flagstone; slate
• 石子shí zǐsmall stone; gravel
• 石块shí kuàistone; rock
• 石碑shí bēistele; stone tablet (for inscription)
• 石窟shí kūrock cave; grotto; cliff caves (often with Buddhist statues)
• 石阶shí jiēstone step
• 石化shí huàto petrify; petrochemical industry
• 石榴shí liupomegranate
• 石膏shí gāogypsum CaSO4·2(H2O); plaster; plaster cast (for a broken bone)
• 石灰shí huīlime (calcium oxide)
• 石柱shí zhùstela; upright stone; obelisk
• 石雕shí diāostone carving; carved sculpture
• 石林Shí línStone Forest, notable set of limestone formations in Yunnan
• 石刻shí kèstone inscription; carved stone
• 石家庄市Shí jiā zhuāng ShìShijiazhuang, prefecture-level city and capital of Hebei Province 河北省
• 石像shí xiàngstone statue
• 石破天惊shí pò tiān jīngearth-shattering; breakthrough; remarkable and original work
• 石沉大海shí chén dà hǎilit. to throw a stone and see it sink without trace in the sea (idiom)…
• 石景山区Shí jǐng shān QūShijingshan, an inner district of west Beijing
• 石库门shí kù mén"shikumen" style architecture: traditional (ca. 19th century) residences with courtyards…
• 石井Shí jǐngIshii (Japanese surname)
• 石英shí yīngquartz

Words containing 石

• 钻石zuàn shídiamond
• 岩石yán shí(geology) rock
• 化石huà shífossil
• 蒋介石Jiǎng Jiè shíChiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), military leader, head of the Nationalist government in China…
• 宝石bǎo shíprecious stone; gem
• 大理石dà lǐ shímarble
• 巨石jù shíhuge rock; boulder; monolith
• 青石qīng shíbluestone; limestone (colloquial)
• 碎石suì shígravel; crushed rock; rock debris
• 基石jī shífoundation stone; cornerstone; (fig.) basis; foundation
• 礁石jiāo shíreef
• 玉石yù shíjade; jade and stone; (fig.) the good and the bad
• 金石jīn shímetal and stone; fig. hard objects; inscription on metal or bronze
• 王安石Wáng Ān shíWang Anshi (1021-1086), Song dynasty politician and writer, one of the Eight Giants 唐宋八大家
• 水落石出shuǐ luò shí chū(lit.) as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom); (fig.) the truth comes to light
• 齐白石Qí Bái shíQi Baishi (1864-1957), famous Chinese painter
• 鹅卵石é luǎn shípebble; cobblestone
• 沙石shā shísand and stones
• 乱石luàn shírocks; stones; rubble
• 矿石kuàng shíore
• 卵石luǎn shícobble; cobblestone; pebble
• 红宝石hóng bǎo shíruby
• 蓝宝石lán bǎo shísapphire
• 泥石流ní shí liúlandslide; torrent of mud and stones; mudslide

Characters built on 口

These share the phonetic component 口 (kǒu), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 日rì(bound form) sun; day; day of the month
• 知zhīto know; to be aware
• 只zhǐonly; merely; just
• 吉jílucky; giga- (meaning billion or 10^9)
• 咨zī(bound form) to consult; to seek advice; to take counsel
• 吃chīto eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc); to eradicate; to destroy
• 吸xīto breathe; to suck in; to absorb
• 启qǐto open; to start; to initiate

Characters that look like 石

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 车chēcar; vehicle; machine

Sounds the same

Read shí, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 时o'clock; time; when
• 识to know; knowledge; Taiwan pr. shì
• 十ten; 10
• 实real; true; honest
• 食to eat; food; animal feed
• 蚀to nibble away at sth; to eat into; to erode
• 什ten (used in fractions, writing checks etc); assorted; miscellaneous
• 拾to pick up; to collate or arrange; ten (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
• 莳used in 莳萝
• 祏stone shrine
• 湜clear water; pure
• 炻stoneware