恃 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “to rely on”. It is written from 忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 寺 (temple; (as a sound part) sì), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to rely on”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
忄 + 寺
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰忄寺），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：左「忄」3 画 + 右「寺」6 画 = 9 画；「忄」是「心」的左偏旁形，与心理状态相关，「寺 sì」与「恃 shì」韵母与声调相同、声母不同，判为声符。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。
Memory aid
A heart (忄) that leans on the temple (寺) behind it and feels safe — that is 恃, to rely on something for backing.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 有恃无恐yǒu shì wú kǒngto be fearless because one has backing恃 = shì
- 依恃yī shìto rely on; to count on恃 = shì
Go deeper
All readings
to rely on
to rely on; to depend on something as backing; to presume upon (an advantage one has)
依靠、仗着；多指倚仗某种优势或后盾。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 有恃无恐yǒu shì wú kǒngto be fearless because one has backing恃 = shì
- 依恃yī shìto rely on; to count on恃 = shì
Sound component
寺 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 恃 mean?
恃 (shì) means to rely on; to depend on something as backing; to presume upon (an advantage one has).
How do you pronounce 恃?
It is pronounced shì.
What parts is 恃 made of?
忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 寺 (temple; (as a sound part) sì), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（⿰忄寺），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：左「忄」3 画 + 右「寺」6 画 = 9 画；「忄」是「心」的左偏旁形，与心理状态相关，「寺 sì」与「恃 shì」韵母与声调相同、声母不同，判为声符。只描述今形构成，不追溯上古来源。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 恃 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 恃?
心. 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 恃?
Common ones are 有恃无恐 and 依恃. The reading of 恃 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.