司

See also: 可

司 U+53F8, 司 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-53F8 ← 号 [U+53F7] CJK Unified Ideographs 叹 → [U+53F9]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

司 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+2, 5 strokes, Cangjie input 尸一口 (SMR), four-corner 1762₀, composition ⿹𠃌𠮛)

Derived characters

• 伺, 呞, 㚸, 㟃, 泀, 柌, 䏤, 祠, 詞 (词), 䣳, 鉰, 嗣, 飼 (饲), 覗 (𬢊), 笥, 孠, 䛐

Additional derived characters

• 𢘜, 𭠟, 𥄶, 𰨤, 𧙈, 𫨪, 𢃊, 𥿆, 𮍷, 𧉠, 𠻁, 𭉢, 𭊉, 𠻸, 𦎛, 𢩚, 𭻢, 𬐩, 𫵆, 𬴴, 𢕳, 𮫴, 𰥄, 𤔲, 𤔺, 𡭒, 𪗪 (𬹿)
• 𣱇, 𭝝, 𦭡, 𭭟, 𭷿, 𦊛, 𦒽, 𰦙, 𦉚, 𦉠, 𫸙, 𠭈, 𰇾, 𲕾
• 𤏉, 𥠫, 𬨚, 𧀚

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 174, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3257
• Dae Jaweon: page 385, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 572, character 8
• Unihan data for U+53F8

Chinese

simp. and trad.		司
alternative forms		𤔲

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 司
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (司) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
司	*slɯ
伺	*slɯ, *slɯs
覗	*slɯ, *slɯs
笥	*slɯ, *slɯs
詞	*ljɯ
祠	*ljɯ
柌	*ljɯ
嗣	*ljɯs
孠	*ljɯs
飼	*ljɯs
呞	*hljɯ

Inconclusive.

• Jì Xùshēng: Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) a mouth 口 giving orders and a scepter 刁 of authority.
• Liú Xìnglóng interprets 刁 to be a hand instead.
• Táng Lán: Originally the same character as 后, which later diverged.
• Shuowen: 后 flipped.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *zə; cognate with Proto-Kukish *ca, Mru caŋ (“to do; to make”), and Tibetan མཛད (mdzad, “to do; to act”), མཛོད (mdzod), possibly also related to བཟོ (bzo, “work, labour”) (Schuessler, 2007). Schuessler disputes Löffler's (1966) proposed connection of these cognates to 作 (OC *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡs, *ʔsaːɡ, “to do, work, make”) due to phonological difficulties.

Unger (1984) posits a possible relationship with Tibetan རྫི་པོ (rdzi po, “herdsman”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sī (si¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄙ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): si¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ̂

  (Hailu, HRS): sii^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): si¹
• Northern Min (KCR): sí / sú
• Eastern Min (BUC): sṳ̆ / sĭ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): so¹ / ser¹ / si¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): sir / su / si / sai

  (Teochew, Peng'im): si¹

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): su¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹sy
  • (Jinhua): ¹sy

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sī
    • Zhuyin: ㄙ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sih
    • Wade–Giles: ssŭ¹
    • Yale: sz̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sy
    • Palladius: сы (sy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: si¹
    • Yale: sī
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ̂
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si¹
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si¹
    • Sinological IPA: /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: si¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /sɹ̩¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sí / sú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵⁴/, /su⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sṳ̆ / sĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sy⁵⁵/, /si⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Jiangkou, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: so¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: seo
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: so¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: so¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /θo⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ser¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬɤ⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Putian, Jiangkou, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: si
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬi⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou, Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬi⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /θi⁵⁴⁴/

Note:

• so1/ser1 - literary;
• si1 - vernacular.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Yongchun)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sir
    • Tâi-lô: sir
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Yongchun): /sɯ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: su
    • Tâi-lô: su
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sw
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /su⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Yongchun, Nan'an, Tong'an, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: si
    • Tâi-lô: si
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sy
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Yongchun, Tong'an): /si⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Nan'an, Philippines): /si³³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sai
    • Tâi-lô: sai
    • Phofsit Daibuun: say
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /sai⁴⁴/

Note:

• sir/su/si (Jinjiang, Philippines) - literary;
• si/sai - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: si¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: si
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si³³/
• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: su¹
  • Sinological IPA: /su³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Chuansha, Suzhou, Kunshan, Yixing, Changzhou, Jingjiang, Jiaxing, Tongxiang, Haining, Haiyan, Deqing, Hangzhou, Xiaoshan, Fuyang, Shaoxing, Cixi, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ¹sy
    • MiniDict: sy^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹sr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Chuansha): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kunshan): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Yixing): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Jingjiang): /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Tongxiang): /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Haining): /sɹ̩⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Haiyan): /sɹ̩⁵¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Deqing): /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /sɹ̩³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiaoshan): /sɹ̩⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Fuyang): /sɹ̩⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /sɹ̩⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Cixi): /sɹ̩³²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /sɹ̩⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /sɹ̩⁵³/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ¹sy
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /sɹ̩³³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: si

Rime
Character	司
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	息兹切
Baxter	si
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/sɨ/
Pan Wuyun	/sɨ/
Shao Rongfen	/sie/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sɨ/
Li Rong	/siə/
Wang Li	/sĭə/
Bernhard Karlgren	/si/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s-lə/

  (Zhengzhang): /*slɯ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	司
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sī
Middle Chinese	‹ si ›
Old Chinese	/*s-lə/
English	superintend
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	司
Reading #	1/1
No.	11951
Phonetic component	司
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	思
Old Chinese	/*slɯ/

Definitions

司

1. to take charge of; to control; to manage
2. officer; official
3. department (type of subordinate government agency)
4. (chiefly Shanghainese) Used in transcription.

   起司  ―  qǐsī  ―  cheese

   違司／违司 [Shanghainese]  ―  ⁶we-sy₁ [Wugniu]  ―  rag (from waste)

   阿司匹林  ―  āsīpǐlín  ―  aspirin

   盎司  ―  àngsī  ―  ounce

5. a surname

Compounds

• 丁司壋 / 丁司垱 (Dīngsīdàng)
• 三司 (sānsī)
• 上司 (shàngsī)
• 三司使
• 三法司
• 仲介公司
• 保全公司
• 保險公司 / 保险公司 (bǎoxiǎn gōngsī)
• 光桿司令 / 光杆司令 (guānggǎn sīlìng)
• 兩合公司 / 两合公司
• 公司 (gōngsī)
• 公司債 / 公司债
• 公司債券 / 公司债券
• 公司法 (gōngsīfǎ)
• 公司行號 / 公司行号
• 公司重整
• 公證公司 / 公证公司
• 兵馬司 / 兵马司
• 冥司
• 凡立司
• 分公司 (fēngōngsī)
• 分司
• 判司
• 勒克司
• 勾司人
• 南司
• 卡司 (kǎsī)
• 司事 (sīshì)
• 司令 (sīlìng)
• 司令員 / 司令员 (sīlìngyuán)
• 司令官 (sīlìngguān)
• 司令臺 / 司令台
• 司令部 (sīlìngbù)
• 司倉 / 司仓
• 司儀 / 司仪 (sīyí)
• 司公 (sīgōng)
• 司務 / 司务
• 司南 (sīnán)
• 司命
• 司售人員 / 司售人员
• 司城
• 司士
• 司奶 (sai-nai) (Min Nan)
• 司寇 (sīkòu)
• 司徒 (sītú)
• 司成
• 司戶 / 司户
• 司房
• 司晨
• 司更
• 司會 / 司会
• 司機 / 司机 (sījī)
• 司法 (sīfǎ)
• 司法官 (sīfǎ guān)
• 司法機關 / 司法机关
• 司法權 / 司法权 (sīfǎquán)
• 司法獨立 / 司法独立
• 司法行政
• 司法警察 (sīfǎ jǐngchá)
• 司法院 (Sīfǎyuàn)
• 司爐 / 司炉 (sīlú)
• 司牧
• 司理
• 司直
• 司禮 / 司礼
• 司空 (sīkōng)
• 司空伎倆 / 司空伎俩
• 司空見慣 / 司空见惯 (sīkōngjiànguàn)
• 司舵
• 司藥 / 司药
• 司號員 / 司号员 (sīhàoyuán)
• 司農 / 司农 (sīnóng)
• 司農寺 / 司农寺 (Sīnóngsì)
• 司鐸 / 司铎 (sīduó)
• 司長 / 司长 (sīzhǎng)
• 司隸 / 司隶 (sīlì)
• 司隸校尉 / 司隶校尉 (sīlì xiàowèi)
• 司馬 / 司马 (sīmǎ)
• 司馬法 / 司马法
• 司馬門 / 司马门
• 司馬青衫 / 司马青衫
• 吐司 (tǔsī)
• 各司其事
• 吃官司 (chī guānsi)
• 員司 / 员司
• 四司六局
• 土司 (tǔsī)
• 壽司 / 寿司 (shòusī)
• 大司客
• 大司徒
• 大司空
• 大司馬 / 大司马 (dàsīmǎ)
• 大眾公司 / 大众公司
• 大祭司 (dàjìsī)
• 官司
• 客將司 / 客将司
• 客帳司 / 客帐司
• 密司脫 / 密司脱
• 密昔司
• 專司 / 专司
• 布政司 (bùzhèngsī)
• 市舶司 (shìbósī)
• 庫司 / 库司
• 廣儲司 / 广储司
• 所司
• 打官司
• 投資公司 / 投资公司
• 押司
• 控股公司 (kònggǔ gōngsī)
• 握股公司
• 教坊司
• 文君司馬 / 文君司马
• 有司 (yǒusī)
• 有司徹 / 有司彻
• 有限公司 (yǒuxiàngōngsī)
• 本司三院
• 本司院
• 東司 / 东司 (dōngsī)
• 毛司
• 江州司馬 / 江州司马
• 沒頭官司 / 没头官司
• 法司
• 派司
• 無限公司 / 无限公司 (wúxiàn gōngsī)
• 牝雞司晨 / 牝鸡司晨 (pìnjīsīchén)
• 牧司
• 百司
• 百福司 (Bǎifúsī)
• 百貨公司 / 百货公司 (bǎihuò gōngsī)
• 盎司 (àngsī)
• 監司 / 监司
• 祭司 (jìsī)
• 稅務司 / 税务司
• 筆墨官司 / 笔墨官司
• 總公司 / 总公司 (zǒnggōngsī)
• 總司令 / 总司令 (zǒngsīlìng)
• 職司 / 职司
• 股份公司 (gǔfèn gōngsī)
• 臺司 / 台司
• 舊司 / 旧司 (Jiùsī)
• 航空公司 (hángkōng gōngsī)
• 船公司
• 蔡司
• 藩司
• 行政司法
• 袞司 / 衮司
• 見慣司空 / 见惯司空
• 貝司 / 贝司 (bèisī)
• 費司 / 费司
• 起司
• 起司蛋糕 (qǐsī dàngāo)
• 通政司 (Tōngzhèngsī)
• 金融公司 (jīnróng gōngsī)
• 開司米 / 开司米 (kāisīmǐ)
• 開司米龍 / 开司米龙
• 陰司 / 阴司 (yīnsī)
• 頂頭上司 / 顶头上司

References

• “司”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

司

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. an official, a director, a boss

Readings

• Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Tō-on: す (su)
• Kun: つかさ (tsukasa, 司)、つかさどる (tsukasadoru, 司る)、みこともち (mikotomochi, 司)
• Nanori: まもる (mamoru)

Compounds

• 司(し)会(かい) (shikai, “leading a meeting; chairman”)
• 司(し)書(しょ) (shisho, “librarian”)
• 司(し)法(ほう) (shihō, “administration of justice”)
• 司(し)令(れい) (shirei, “command, control; commander”)
• 行(ぎょう)司(じ) (gyōji, “(sumo) referee”)
• 寿司(すし) (sushi, “sushi”)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
司
つかさ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 司 – see the following entry.

【長つかさ】2 [noun] a manager, a headman, a foreman [noun] an official [noun] government service [proper noun] a surname [proper noun] a unisex given name Alternative spellings 官, 首, 宰, 省, 寮

(This term, 司, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
司
まもる Grade: 4
nanori

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ma̠mo̞ɾɯ̟]
• (Tokyo) まもる [màmórú] (Heiban – [0])

Proper noun

司(まもる) • (Mamoru) 

1. a male given name

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
司
みこともち Grade: 4
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 司 – see the following entry.

【みこともち】 [noun] (archaic, possibly obsolete, historical) in ancient Japan prior to the Taika Reform, a governor appointed by the emperor to carry out imperial policies in the provinces Alternative spelling 宰

(This term, 司, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

• “^△司”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja

司 (eumhun 맡을 사 (mateul sa))

1. hanja form^? of 사 (“to take charge of; officer”)

Compounds

• 사령관 (司令官, saryeonggwan, “commander”)
• 사령부 (司令部, saryeongbu, “commander center”)
• 사마 (司馬, Sama, “Sima”)
• 사서 (司書, saseo, “librarian”)
• 사회 (司會, sahoe, “moderation”)
• 사회자 (司會者, sahoeja, “moderator”)

Vietnamese

Han character

司: Hán Nôm readings: ti, tư, tơ

1. chữ Hán form of ti (“to take charge of; to control; to manage; officer; official”)