HSK · Level 8
135 words
Chinese word
诗
Pronunciation
Pinyinshī
Meaning
- nounpoem
Example
这首诗很感人。zhè shǒu shī hěn gǎn rén
This poem is very moving.
More examples
她会背很多古诗。tā huì bèi hěn duō gǔ shī
She can recite many classical poems.
Core concept
Rhythmical, image-rich language that compresses feeling or a scene into a few lines.
Common phrases
写诗xiě shī
write poems
念诗niàn shī
recite poems
一首诗yì shǒu shī
one poem
Similar words
诗歌shī gē: The literary genre of poetry, including poetic works and song lyrics.
诗篇shī piān: One whole poem considered as a literary work.
诗句shī jù: A single line or brief phrase in a poem.
诗集shī jí: A book that gathers poems into one collection.
Definition in Chinese
以有节奏和形象的语言表达情感或意境的文学体裁，常由若干诗句组成。yǐ yǒu jié zòu hé xíng xiàng de yǔ yán biǎo dá qíng gǎn huò yì jìng de wén xué tǐ cái cháng yóu ruò gān shī jù zǔ chéng
Word origin
诗 (shī, "poem") combines 言 (yán, "words") + 寺 (sì, "temple"), with 言 marking language and 寺 supplying the sound; the character thus names language shaped into rhythmic expression.
Usage tips
- English often separates one poem from poetry as an art form, while Chinese can use the same noun for both, so context determines the intended scope.