匙 (chí) is a Chinese character meaning “spoon”. It is written from 是 (to be; right, correct) and 匕 (ancient spoon; dagger), one enclosing the other, and takes 11 strokes. It has a second reading, shi, which turns up in 钥匙 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “spoon”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
是 + 匕
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺是匕，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：匙 共 11 笔，笔画 0–8 为「是」（末笔捺拉长托住右部），9–10 为「匕」；《说文解字》匙，匕也，从匕是声
Memory aid
A spoon (匕) resting on the long sweep of 是 — picture a spoon lying in its tray. That is 匙, a spoon.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 汤匙tāng chísoup spoon; tablespoon匙 = chí
Go deeper
All readings
spoon
spoon
舀取食物或液体的小勺子。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 汤匙tāng chísoup spoon; tablespoon匙 = chí
(in 钥匙) key
neutral-tone syllable in 钥匙 yàoshi, "key"
用于「钥匙」，读轻声。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 钥匙yào shikey匙 = shi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 匙 mean?
匙 (chí) means spoon.
How do you pronounce 匙?
Its main reading is chí. It also has a second reading, shi, which only shows up in certain words such as 钥匙 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 匙 sometimes pronounced shi?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 钥匙 it is read shi.
What parts is 匙 made of?
是 (to be; right, correct) and 匕 (ancient spoon; dagger), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺是匕，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：匙 共 11 笔，笔画 0–8 为「是」（末笔捺拉长托住右部），9–10 为「匕」；《说文解字》匙，匕也，从匕是声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 匙 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 匙?
匕. 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 匙?
Common ones are 汤匙. The reading of 匙 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.