私 (sī) is a Chinese character meaning “private”. It is written from 禾 (grain; standing grain) and 厶 (private component), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “private; one's own”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
禾 + 厶
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：私，禾也。从禾，厶聲。
Memory aid
Grain (禾) with an arm curled around it (厶) — grain you keep for yourself. That is 私: private, one's own.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 私人sī rénprivate; personal私 = sī
- 自私zì sīselfish私 = sī
- 隐私yǐn sīprivacy; personal secrets私 = sī
Go deeper
All readings
private
private; personal; one's own; selfish; secret
个人的、自己的，跟「公」相对；也指只顾自己或不公开的。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 私人sī rénprivate; personal私 = sī
- 自私zì sīselfish私 = sī
- 隐私yǐn sīprivacy; personal secrets私 = sī
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 私 mean?
私 (sī) means private; personal; one's own; selfish; secret.
How do you pronounce 私?
It is pronounced sī.
What parts is 私 made of?
禾 (grain; standing grain) and 厶 (private component), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：私，禾也。从禾，厶聲。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 私 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 私?
禾. 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 私?
Common ones are 私人 and 自私. The reading of 私 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.