寺 (sì) is a Chinese character meaning “temple”. It is written from 土 (earth; soil) and 寸 (cun; inch), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “temple”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
土 + 寸
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱土寸，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+3=6）；说文解字: 寺，廷也。有法度者也。从寸之聲（今形上部已讹作土，故上部标为 remnant）
Memory aid
A patch of earth (土) with a measuring hand (寸) set under it — ground carefully measured out and walled in: a temple.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 寺庙sì miàotemple寺 = sì
- 寺院sì yuànmonastery; temple compound寺 = sì
Go deeper
All readings
temple
temple; monastery (Buddhist); mosque
供奉神佛、僧人居住修行的建筑；也指清真寺。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 寺庙sì miàotemple寺 = sì
- 寺院sì yuànmonastery; temple compound寺 = sì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 寺 mean?
寺 (sì) means temple; monastery (Buddhist); mosque.
How do you pronounce 寺?
It is pronounced sì.
What parts is 寺 made of?
土 (earth; soil) and 寸 (cun; inch), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱土寸，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+3=6）；说文解字: 寺，廷也。有法度者也。从寸之聲（今形上部已讹作土，故上部标为 remnant）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 寺 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 寺?
寸. 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 寺?
Common ones are 寺庙 and 寺院. The reading of 寺 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.