拭 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “to wipe”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 式 (pattern; style; formula; ceremony), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to wipe”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 式
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字「拭，清也。从手式聲」；IDS 拆分 ⿰扌式，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「扌」，笔画 3–8 与「式」逐笔对应（3+6=9画）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) on the left, 式 on the right. 式 is the sound part — 式 shì gives 拭 shì, the same syllable and the same tone. Picture a hand moving in a set pattern across a surface: that steady wiping motion is 拭.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 拭泪shì lèito wipe away tears拭 = shì
- 拭汗shì hànto wipe off sweat拭 = shì
- 揩拭kāi shìto wipe clean拭 = shì
Go deeper
All readings
to wipe
to wipe; to wipe clean; to rub off
用手或布擦，把东西擦干净。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 拭泪shì lèito wipe away tears拭 = shì
- 拭汗shì hànto wipe off sweat拭 = shì
- 揩拭kāi shìto wipe clean拭 = shì
Sound component
式 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 拭 mean?
拭 (shì) means to wipe; to wipe clean; to rub off.
How do you pronounce 拭?
It is pronounced shì.
What parts is 拭 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 式 (pattern; style; formula; ceremony), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字「拭，清也。从手式聲」；IDS 拆分 ⿰扌式，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「扌」，笔画 3–8 与「式」逐笔对应（3+6=9画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 拭 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 拭?
扌. 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 拭?
Common ones are 拭泪 and 拭汗. The reading of 拭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.