Read Edit View history 始 shǐ HSK3 begin Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents Basic Details Gloss Iconic Gloss Original Meaning Hint Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 台 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "elder sister", now written as 姒. The meaning later shifted to "first" and "start". Pinyin Separate values with commas shǐ × Add Simplified Variants Separate values with commas Add Traditional Variants Separate values with commas Add Variant Of Components Character ◎ Hint Type meaning sound iconic remnant simplified deleted distinguishing unknown Old pronunciation From original meaning Glyph changed 始 Simp strokes 始 Trad strokes Character ◎ Hint Type meaning sound iconic remnant simplified deleted distinguishing unknown Old pronunciation From original meaning Glyph changed 始 Simp strokes 始 Trad strokes + Add component Stroke Data 始 Stroke Data (Simp) — JSON { "source": "dong", "medians": [ [ [ 276, 792 ], [ 300, 774 ], [ 320, 740 ], [ 262, 478 ], [ 205, 300 ], [ 210, 287 ], [ 234, 269 ], [ 387, 175 ], [ 405, 152 ], [ 414, 127 ] ], [ [ 364, 521 ], [ 398, 484 ], [ 368, 346 ], [ 338, 272 ], [ 275, 182 ], [ 207, 128 ], [ 132, 92 ] ], [ [ 62, 425 ], [ 111, 403 ], [ 202, 431 ], [ 336, 459 ], [ 357, 474 ] ], [ [ 630, 764 ], [ 661, 728 ], [ 656, 713 ], [ 610, 612 ], [ 524, 468 ], [ 505, 413 ], [ 547, 411 ], [ 782, 469 ], [ 793, 459 ] ], [ [ 739, 568 ], [ 832, 481 ], [ 853, 437 ], [ 855, 415 ] ], [ [ 482, 267 ], [ 508, 245 ], [ 516, 227 ], [ 556, 27 ] ], [ [ 536, 265 ], [ 545, 257 ], [ 567, 256 ], [ 739, 298 ], [ 763, 297 ], [ 799, 266 ], [ 775, 173 ], [ 751, 155 ] ], [ [ 571, 106 ], [ 584, 95 ], [ 749, 125 ], [ 793, 126 ], [ 814, 118 ] ] ], "strokes": [ "M 313 194 Q 347 169 390 129 Q 406 116 415 114 Q 424 115 429 125 Q 435 135 429 165 Q 422 192 401 204 Q 382 217 342 236 L 302 256 Q 277 269 244 283 Q 225 292 227 310 Q 246 367 265 424 L 278 465 Q 306 559 329 654 Q 339 699 357 723 Q 370 744 363 756 Q 350 772 306 800 Q 287 813 271 804 Q 258 798 268 782 Q 301 731 235 456 L 224 412 Q 197 333 184 311 Q 175 289 195 273 Q 241 251 279 221 L 313 194 Z", "M 279 221 Q 272 214 266 204 Q 238 170 187 135 Q 175 126 159 118 Q 143 108 129 98 Q 116 91 127 87 Q 199 81 310 191 Q 311 192 313 194 L 342 236 Q 346 246 354 255 Q 382 303 395 361 Q 414 448 434 478 Q 444 494 429 503 Q 386 539 363 532 Q 350 529 355 515 Q 362 499 363 481 L 361 451 Q 360 441 359 426 Q 350 336 302 256 L 279 221 Z", "M 363 481 Q 321 474 278 465 L 235 456 Q 178 449 118 438 Q 97 434 64 439 Q 51 439 48 430 Q 44 418 53 409 Q 72 391 101 369 Q 111 365 123 372 Q 195 412 224 412 L 265 424 Q 311 437 361 451 C 390 459 393 486 363 481 Z", "M 788 484 Q 676 468 556 440 Q 544 436 540 439 Q 536 443 544 460 Q 676 682 705 719 Q 717 729 709 743 Q 702 756 650 777 Q 631 784 622 779 Q 609 772 616 751 Q 638 687 520 497 Q 496 458 446 421 Q 431 408 436 396 Q 443 378 471 358 Q 483 348 496 359 Q 541 393 806 459 C 835 466 818 488 788 484 Z", "M 806 459 Q 837 411 853 404 Q 860 403 869 410 Q 882 420 876 464 Q 873 503 807 542 Q 765 567 742 578 Q 735 584 730 573 Q 729 560 737 549 Q 761 521 788 484 L 806 459 Z", "M 526 267 Q 514 271 488 277 Q 476 280 473 275 Q 466 268 475 253 Q 506 187 523 81 Q 526 50 544 28 Q 562 6 567 21 Q 574 40 569 74 L 563 111 Q 547 205 543 235 C 539 263 539 263 526 267 Z", "M 795 146 Q 814 224 846 252 Q 862 271 847 289 Q 831 302 776 325 Q 757 332 736 323 Q 655 289 526 267 C 496 262 513 231 543 235 Q 571 238 721 272 Q 740 276 748 269 Q 758 260 758 240 Q 752 191 744 149 C 739 119 787 117 795 146 Z", "M 569 74 Q 575 74 582 75 Q 655 93 811 107 Q 823 108 824 118 Q 824 127 795 146 C 780 156 773 155 744 149 Q 743 149 742 149 Q 643 124 563 111 C 533 106 539 72 569 74 Z" ] } 8 strokes 始 Stroke Data (Trad) — JSON { "source": "animcjk", "medians": [ [ [ 269, 798 ], [ 322, 739 ], [ 203, 298 ], [ 389, 173 ], [ 417, 119 ] ], [ [ 361, 523 ], [ 400, 480 ], [ 336, 272 ], [ 277, 187 ], [ 133, 92 ] ], [ [ 51, 429 ], [ 106, 402 ], [ 363, 471 ] ], [ [ 622, 775 ], [ 665, 722 ], [ 486, 418 ], [ 509, 397 ], [ 804, 468 ] ], [ [ 736, 573 ], [ 835, 476 ], [ 861, 409 ] ], [ [ 477, 269 ], [ 515, 230 ], [ 558, 22 ] ], [ [ 528, 263 ], [ 767, 296 ], [ 805, 260 ], [ 765, 137 ] ], [ [ 559, 99 ], [ 817, 124 ] ] ], "strokes": [ "M313,194C335,177 360,156 390,129C400,120 408,115 415,114C421,114 425,119 429,125C432,132 433,146 429,165C424,184 414,196 401,204C388,213 368,223 342,236C315,249 315,249 302,256C285,265 265,274 244,283C231,289 223,299 227,310C227,310 252,386 265,424C274,451 274,451 278,465C297,528 314,591 329,654C336,684 345,707 357,723C366,737 368,749 363,756C355,768 335,781 306,800C293,809 281,810 271,804C262,800 261,793 268,782C289,748 280,639 235,456C228,427 228,427 224,412C210,358 191,327 184,311C176,297 180,282 195,273C224,256 253,242 279,221C302,203 302,203 313,194Z", "M279,221C267,204 219,159 159,118C148,111 138,105 129,98C120,93 119,88 127,87C174,82 292,164 313,194C332,222 332,222 342,236C354,255 386,323 395,361C407,419 420,458 434,478C440,489 438,496 429,503C399,526 378,537 363,532C354,530 351,525 355,515C359,505 363,493 363,481C362,461 362,461 361,451C356,388 336,308 302,256C287,233 287,233 279,221Z", "M363,481C335,477 306,471 278,465C249,459 249,459 235,456C197,449 156,443 118,438C103,437 86,437 64,439C55,440 50,436 48,430C45,422 46,415 53,409C65,397 80,383 101,369C107,365 114,368 123,372C170,399 205,407 224,412C251,420 251,420 265,424C295,433 327,442 361,451C371,453 373,483 363,481Z", "M788,484C713,474 635,460 556,440C547,438 542,437 540,439C537,442 537,450 544,460C631,609 684,696 705,719C711,727 714,734 709,743C704,752 684,764 650,777C637,782 628,783 622,779C613,775 611,765 616,751C630,709 598,624 520,497C503,472 478,447 446,421C435,413 432,404 436,396C440,384 452,372 471,358C479,352 487,352 496,359C525,382 629,415 806,459C816,461 798,486 788,484Z", "M806,459C828,429 842,408 853,404C857,403 863,406 869,410C877,417 879,435 876,464C873,490 851,516 807,542C779,559 756,570 742,578C736,581 732,581 730,573C727,565 731,556 737,549C752,530 770,509 788,484C800,467 800,467 806,459Z", "M526,267Q514,271 488,277Q476,280 473,275Q466,268 475,253Q506,187 523,81Q526,50 544,28Q562,6 567,21Q574,40 569,74C565,99 565,99 563,111Q547,205 543,235C541,247 537,263 526,267Z", "M795,146C807,198 825,233 846,252C857,264 858,278 847,289C837,299 812,311 776,325C763,331 750,329 736,323C682,301 612,282 526,267C514,265 531,233 543,235C561,237 621,250 721,272C733,275 742,274 748,269C754,263 759,254 758,240C755,208 749,177 744,149C741,132 792,129 795,146Z", "M569,74C573,74 577,74 582,75C630,87 707,98 811,107C819,108 823,112 824,118C824,124 814,134 795,146C781,156 760,155 744,149C714,139 616,120 563,111C551,109 557,74 569,74Z" ] } 8 strokes Historical Pronunciations Source baxter-sagartzhengzhangtang Middle Chinese Old Chinese Gloss + Add historical pronunciation Sources × Quick add: 漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》李学勤《字源》zi.toolsChinese Text Project許進雄《簡明中國文字學》 + Add source Verified Edit Comment (required) Submit Edit Note: The form works without JavaScript but the tag/list editors are simplified.