式 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “type”. It is written from 弋 (corded arrow; to shoot with a retrievable arrow) and 工 (work), one enclosing the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “style; form”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
弋 + 工
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字·工部：式，法也。从工弋聲；现代字形 IDS ⿹弋工 已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核对（第 1、5、6 笔属 弋，第 2–4 笔属 工）
Memory aid
A carpenter's square 工 kept under the arrow 弋: the fixed pattern everyone shoots for. That is a 式 — a set style or form.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 方式fāng shìway; method; manner式 = shì
- 仪式yí shìceremony; rite式 = shì
Go deeper
All readings
style; form
type; style; pattern; form; a formal ceremony; a formula in mathematics
样式；式样；一定的规格或方法。也指典礼，或数学中的算式。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 方式fāng shìway; method; manner式 = shì
- 仪式yí shìceremony; rite式 = shì
Origin
The Shuowen Jiezi analyses 式 as "from 工, with 弋 giving the sound", glossing it as 法 — a standard or rule to work by. The modern glyph still shows 工 (work, a carpenter's tool) tucked under the corded arrow 弋.
Source: 说文解字·工部：式，法也。从工弋聲
Sound component
弋 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 式 mean?
式 (shì) means type; style; pattern; form; a formal ceremony; a formula in mathematics.
How do you pronounce 式?
It is pronounced shì.
What parts is 式 made of?
弋 (corded arrow; to shoot with a retrievable arrow) and 工 (work), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·工部：式，法也。从工弋聲；现代字形 IDS ⿹弋工 已与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核对（第 1、5、6 笔属 弋，第 2–4 笔属 工）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 式 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 式?
弋. 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 式?
Common ones are 方式 and 仪式. The reading of 式 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.