射 (shè) is a Chinese character meaning “to shoot”. It is written from 身 (body) and 寸 (cun; inch), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to shoot”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
身 + 寸
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·矢部：䠶……从矢从身。射，篆文䠶从寸。寸，法度也，亦手也
Memory aid
A body (身) braced and steady, a hand (寸) pulling back and letting go — that is how you shoot. Both parts are really in 射; this is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 射击shè jīto shoot (with a gun); shooting (sport)射 = shè
- 发射fā shèto launch; to fire; to emit射 = shè
- 注射zhù shèto inject; injection射 = shè
Go deeper
All readings
to shoot
to shoot; to fire; to launch; to emit (light, liquid, heat)
用弓、枪等把箭或子弹发出去；也指液体、光、热等迅速放出。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 射击shè jīto shoot (with a gun); shooting (sport)射 = shè
- 发射fā shèto launch; to fire; to emit射 = shè
- 注射zhù shèto inject; injection射 = shè
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 射 mean?
射 (shè) means to shoot; to fire; to launch; to emit (light, liquid, heat).
How do you pronounce 射?
It is pronounced shè.
What parts is 射 made of?
身 (body) and 寸 (cun; inch), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·矢部：䠶……从矢从身。射，篆文䠶从寸。寸，法度也，亦手也. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 射 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 射?
寸. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 射?
Common ones are 射击, 发射, 注射. The reading of 射 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.