身 (shēn) is a Chinese character meaning “the body”. It is written from ㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇆ (horizontal-turning hook stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇒ (left-falling stroke), and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “body”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇒ + ㇑ + ㇆ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇒
Overlapping structure
- ㇒ left-falling stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
- ㇆ horizontal-turning hook stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇒ left-falling stroke unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 与第 7 笔撇、第 2 笔竖、第 3 笔横折钩、第 4/5/6 笔横）
Memory aid
A short slant (㇒) tips in at the top, a straight post (㇑) drops down the left, and a bar that turns and hooks (㇆) closes the trunk on the right. Three flat bars (㇐) stack inside like ribs, the lowest pushing out past the wall, and one long slant (㇒) sweeps from the right shoulder down to the floor like a leg: a standing body.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 身体shēn tǐbody; health身 = shēnHSK 1
- 转身zhuǎn shēnto turn around (one's body); to turn one's back身 = shēn
- 俯身fǔ shēnto bend over; to stoop身 = shēn
- 健身jiàn shēnto work out; fitness身 = shēn
- 浑身hún shēnall over the body; from head to toe身 = shēn
- 身旁shēn pángby one's side; beside someone身 = shēn
- 身躯shēn qūbody; physique; stature身 = shēn
- 躬身gōng shēnto bend forward; to bow身 = shēn
Go deeper
All readings
body
the body; oneself; the main part of something
人或动物的躯体；也指自己本人，或物体的主要部分。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 身体shēn tǐbody; health身 = shēnHSK 1
- 转身zhuǎn shēnto turn around (one's body); to turn one's back身 = shēn
- 俯身fǔ shēnto bend over; to stoop身 = shēn
- 健身jiàn shēnto work out; fitness身 = shēn
- 浑身hún shēnall over the body; from head to toe身 = shēn
- 身旁shēn pángby one's side; beside someone身 = shēn
- 身躯shēn qūbody; physique; stature身 = shēn
- 躬身gōng shēnto bend forward; to bow身 = shēn
Other characters with these parts
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 身 mean?
身 (shēn) means the body; oneself; the main part of something.
How do you pronounce 身?
It is pronounced shēn.
What parts is 身 made of?
㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇆ (horizontal-turning hook stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇒ (left-falling stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 与第 7 笔撇、第 2 笔竖、第 3 笔横折钩、第 4/5/6 笔横）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 身 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 身?
身. 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 身?
Common ones are 身体. The reading of 身 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.