市
Lesson note · shì
The Character 市: City, Market & Commerce
A crucial HSK character connected with cities, markets, and trade
市shìcitytownmarketcommercetrade城市超市集市市场股市巾
Meanings & Common HSK Words
市 (shì) functions primarily as a noun meaning city, town, or market / trade.
| HSK level | Word | Pinyin | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 2 | 城市 | chéngshì | City / town |
| HSK 2 | 超市 | chāoshì | Supermarket |
| HSK 3 | 集市 | jíshì | Market / fair |
| HSK 4 | 市场 | shìchǎng | Market / marketplace |
| HSK 4 | 股市 | gǔshì | Stock market |
Character Structure & Radical Details
- Pinyin
- shì
- Radical
- 巾巾部 (jīn bù)—Cloth / Towel Radical, 3 strokes
- Stroke count
- 5 strokes
Component breakdown
- Top part: 亠 (lid / top component) + 丶 (dot).
- Bottom part: 巾 (jīn)—a cloth banner.
The original pictograph concept historically depicted a market stall marked by a cloth banner (巾), where people gathered to trade goods.