氏

See also: 氐

氏 U+6C0F, 氏 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6C0F ← 氎 [U+6C0E] CJK Unified Ideographs 氐 → [U+6C10]

⽒ U+2F52, ⽒ KANGXI RADICAL CLAN ← ⽑ [U+2F51] Kangxi Radicals ⽓ → [U+2F53]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

氏 (Kangxi radical 83, 氏+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 竹女心 (HVP), four-corner 7274₀, composition ⿸⿱丿𠄌𫠠)

1. Kangxi radical #83, ⽒.
2. Shuowen Jiezi radical №449

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/氏
• 𭇇, 坁, 𡚼, 㞴, 忯, 扺, 汦, 㹝, 𨸝, 𩟾, 𫼙, 𣏚, 𭸻, 𦙆, 祇, 𤯄, 眂, 𬒀, 秖, 衹, 䉻, 紙(纸), 𦐊, 舐, 蚔, 觗, 𧦄, 𧵄, 赿, 䟗, 軝(𬨂), 𨟾, 𨱡, 𨥌, 𩉬, 𭦯, 䲬
• 𠛊, 𣢎, 𦕌, 𬡼, 𨾛, 𩑥, 䲭, 𠯑, 𭎁, 帋, 𢗪, 昏, 𤯁, 𥄇, 𧉜, 𧎪, 芪, 𥫽, 𩬁, 𠨿, 㡳, 疧, 𠥯, 𡆿
• See also 氐#Derived characters

References

• KangXi: page 597, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 17026
• Dae Jaweon: page 988, character 30
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2130, character 1
• Unihan data for U+6C0F

Chinese

simp. and trad.		氏

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 氏
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
氏	*skeŋ, *kje, *ɡjeʔ
衹	*kje, *ɡe
紙	*kjeʔ
帋	*kjeʔ
扺	*kjeʔ
坁	*kjeʔ
汦	*kjeʔ, *tjil
忯	*ɡje, *ɡe
眂	*ɡje, *ɡils
舐	*ɦljeʔ
芪	*ɡe
祇	*ɡe
疧	*ɡe
軝	*ɡe
蚔	*ɡe

Pictogram (象形). Various interpretations exist: a man bending over to sow the field, the root of a tree, a man bowing over to the right, a spoon or mallet, a man holding an object, etc.

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shì (shi⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˋ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): si⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): si⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): si⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si⁴

• Min Bei (KCR): sī
• Min Dong (BUC): sê
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): sǐ / sī

  (Teochew, Peng'im): si⁶ / zin¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): ³zr
• Xiang (Wiktionary): shr⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shì
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shìh
    • Wade–Giles: shih⁴
    • Yale: shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyh
    • Palladius: ши (ši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: si⁶
    • Yale: sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: si⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: si⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /sz̩⁵³/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sī
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si⁵⁵/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sê
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛi²⁴²/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sǐ
    • Tâi-lô: sǐ
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕi²²/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sī
    • Tâi-lô: sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: si
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /ɕi²²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɕi³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si⁶ / zin¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sĭ / tsiⁿ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si³⁵/, /t͡sĩ³³/

Note:

• si6 - literary;
• zin1 - colloquial.

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: ³zr
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /z̥z̩²³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: shr⁴
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʂʐ̩⁴⁵/
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /sz̩⁴⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /d͡ʑiᴇX/

Rime
Character	氏
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	常 (25)
Final (韻)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	承紙切
Baxter	dzyeX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡ʑiᴇX/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡ʑiɛX/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡ʑjɛX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡ʑiə̆X/
Li Rong	/ʑieX/
Wang Li	/ʑǐeX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʑie̯X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*k.deʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡjeʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	氏
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shì
Middle Chinese	‹ dzyeX ›
Old Chinese	/*k.deʔ/
English	clan
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	氏
Reading #	3/3
No.	11523
Phonetic component	氏
Rime group	支
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	是
Old Chinese	/*ɡjeʔ/
Notes	甲金文象人俯伏手臂下據着地（右下菱形象封土， 指胙土命氏，金文省爲圓點），以表對氏族份地的禮敬， 後轉註爲坁祇， 非乁聲

Definitions

氏

1. clan; family; lineage; hereditary house

   夏后氏  ―  xiàhòushì  ―  The (Sovereign) House of Xia

   氏族  ―  shìzú  ―  tribe; clan

2. surname
3. person with the surname of ...; Mr.

   無名氏／无名氏  ―  wúmíngshì  ―  Anonymous

   • 余讀孔氏書，想見其為人。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     余读孔氏书，想见其为人。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Yú dú Kǒngshì shū, xiǎngjiàn qí wéirén. [Pinyin]

     When I was reading the works of Confucius, I can feel his character.

4. (historical) née; born as; maiden name
5. suffix to a personal proper noun for attribution (of a work, invention, discovery, etc.)

   《呂氏春秋》／《吕氏春秋》  ―  “Lǚshìchūnqiū”  ―  Lü's Spring and Autumn

   歐氏管／欧氏管  ―  ōushìguǎn  ―  Eustachian tube

   • 時時冠之，及貴常冠，所謂「劉氏冠」乃是也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     时时冠之，及贵常冠，所谓“刘氏冠”乃是也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Shíshí guàn zhī, jí guì cháng guàn, suǒwèi “Liúshì guān” nǎi shì yě. [Pinyin]

     From time to time [he] would wear (the headdress), and had always kept it on after he arose to prominence. People now refer to the style as "the headdress of Liu".

6. (Classical Chinese) suffix to a noun that refers to family membership (actual or honorary)

   • 母氏聖善，我無令人。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     母氏圣善，我无令人。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Mǔshì shèng shàn, wǒ wú lìng rén. [Pinyin]

     Our mother is wise and good;
     But among us there is none good.

   • 伯氏不出而圖吾君，伯氏苟出而圖吾君，申生受賜而死。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     伯氏不出而图吾君，伯氏苟出而图吾君，申生受赐而死。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Bóshì bù chū ér tú wú jūn, bóshì gǒu chū ér tú wú jūn, Shēnshēng shòu cì ér sǐ. [Pinyin]

     [Y]ou, venerable Sir, do not come forth and consult for the good of our ruler. If you will come forth and do this, I will die having received a great favour from you.

Usage notes

• The meaning of "née" has become largely obsolete, as current Chinese practice is for married women to continue to use their former surnames. The practice of sometimes adopting the husband's surname is being revived, however. 氏 follows the maiden name, which follows the married name — 張氏 (“née Zhang”), 李張氏 (“Li née Zhang”), or 配張氏 (“married to a lady of the Zhang clan”).

See also

• (Mr.): 先生 (xiānshēng)

Compounds

Derived terms from 氏

• 伊耆氏
• 伏羲氏
• 伯氏
• 保章氏
• 匠氏
• 南史氏
• 名氏
• 周氏 (Zhōushì)
• 和氏
• 和氏璧 (Héshìbì)
• 唐氏症 (Tángshìzhèng)
• 外氏
• 姓氏 (xìngshì)
• 媒氏
• 左氏春秋
• 巴氏反射
• 方相氏
• 有巢氏
• 有虞氏
• 氏族 (shìzú, “clan”)

• 燧人氏
• 百氏
• 赫胥氏
• 陶唐氏
• 高氏症
• 高辛氏
• 夏后氏 (Xiàhòushì)
• 伏犧氏／伏牺氏
• 伯趙氏／伯赵氏
• 何氏語林／何氏语林
• 兩氏旁人／两氏旁人
• 卞氏龍／卞氏龙
• 呂氏春秋／吕氏春秋 (Lǚshìchūnqiū)
• 巴氏桿菌／巴氏杆菌
• 巴氏體／巴氏体
• 布氏桿菌／布氏杆菌
• 布魯氏菌／布鲁氏菌 (bùlǔshìjūn)
• 師氏／师氏
• 攝氏／摄氏 (Shèshì)
• 散氏盤／散氏盘

• 柳氏傳／柳氏传
• 楊氏係數／杨氏系数
• 歐氏管／欧氏管 (ōushìguǎn)
• 源氏物語／源氏物语 (Yuánshì Wùyǔ)
• 無名氏／无名氏 (wúmíngshì)
• 玄鳥氏／玄鸟氏
• 畢氏定理／毕氏定理 (Bì-shì dìnglǐ)
• 神農氏／神农氏
• 華氏／华氏 (Huáshì)
• 華氏溫標／华氏温标
• 董氏封髮／董氏封发
• 蘭氏小島／兰氏小岛
• 詹氏年鑑／詹氏年鉴
• 趙氏孤兒／赵氏孤儿
• 鄭氏群虎／郑氏群虎
• 釋氏／释氏
• 野廬氏／野庐氏
• 顏氏家訓／颜氏家训
• 馬氏文通／马氏文通
• 鮑氏囊／鲍氏囊 (bàoshìnáng)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhī (zhi¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄓ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi¹
• Min Dong (BUC): cṳ̆

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhī
    • Zhuyin: ㄓ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhih
    • Wade–Giles: chih¹
    • Yale: jr̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jy
    • Palladius: чжи (čži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi¹
    • Yale: jī
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː⁵⁵/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cṳ̆
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sy⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡ɕiᴇ/

Rime
Character	氏
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	章移切
Baxter	tsye
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕiᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕjɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ciə̆/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕie/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕǐe/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zi1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*kje/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	氏
Reading #	2/3
No.	11515
Phonetic component	氏
Rime group	支
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	支
Old Chinese	/*kje/
Notes	月氏

Definitions

氏

1. ^† Used in 月氏 (yuèzhī, “Yuezhi”).
2. ^† Used in 閼氏／阏氏 (yānzhī, “wife of a Xiongnu chief”).

Compounds

Derived terms from 氏

• 大月氏

• 月氏 (yuèzhī)

• 閼氏／阏氏 (yānzhī)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīng (jing¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jing
    • Wade–Giles: ching¹
    • Yale: jīng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jing
    • Palladius: цзин (czin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡siᴇŋ/

Rime
Character	氏
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	子盈切
Baxter	tsjeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siᴇŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siɛŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siæŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡siajŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡siɛŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭɛŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯ɛŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jīng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*skeŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	氏
Reading #	1/3
No.	11513
Phonetic component	氏
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	精
Old Chinese	/*skeŋ/
Notes	漢縣

Definitions

氏

1. ^† Only used in 狋氏 (“name of an ancient county”).

Japanese

Kanji

氏

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: じ (ji); し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
• Kun: うじ (uji, 氏, Jōyō)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
氏
し Grade: 4
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 氏 (MC d͡ʑiᴇX).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) し​ [shíꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕi]

• Pitch accent only applies when used as a standalone noun.

Noun

氏(し) • (shi) 

1. a family, a clan
2. a certain person

Suffix

氏(し) • (-shi) 

1. (honorific) Mr.; Ms.
   • 1997 September 1 [Oct 10 1996], Fujiko F. Fujio, “くたばれ評(ひょう)論(ろん)家(か)　の巻(まき) [The Drop-Dead Critic]”, in エスパー魔美 [Esper Mami], 4th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 157:

     部(ぶ)分(ぶん)テレポートさせた剣(つるぎ)氏(し)のガン細(さい)胞(ぼう)。

     Bubun terepōto saseta Tsurugi-shi no gan saibō.

     These are the cancer cells I teleported out of Mr. Tsurugi.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
氏
うじ Grade: 4
kun’yomi

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

【うじ】 [noun] (historical) a clan [noun] a family name, a surname [noun] one's house, birth, lineage [suffix] (historical, honorific) a clan (added after the clan name as an honorific)

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

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 氏 (MC d͡ʑiᴇX). Has unusual tensing, the only other such readings being 雙 (ssang) and 喫 (kkik).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	씽〯 (Yale: ssǐ)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[3]	각시〮 (Yale: kàksí)	시〮 (Yale: sí)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕ͈i]
• Phonetic hangul: [씨]

Hanja

Wikisource

氏 (eumhun 성씨(姓氏) 씨 (seongssi ssi))

1. Hanja form^? of 씨 (“lineage; surname”).
2. Hanja form^? of 씨 (“Mr.; Ms.”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 섭씨 (攝氏, seopssi)
• 성씨 (姓氏, seongssi)
• 모씨 (某氏, mossi)
• 화씨 (華氏, hwassi)
• 씨명 (氏名, ssimyeong)
• 씨족 (氏族, ssijok)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 氏 (MC t͡ɕiᴇ).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	징 (Yale: cì)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕi]
• Phonetic hangul: [지]

Hanja

氏 (eumhun 나라 이름 지 (nara ireum ji))

1. (historical) Hanja form^? of 지 (“Only used in 월지 (月氏, wolji)”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 월지 (月氏, wolji)
• 대월지 (大月氏, daewolji)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [4]

Vietnamese

Han character

氏: Hán Nôm readings: thị

1. chữ Hán form of thị (“she/her; that criminal; you (derogatory); bitch”).