尸
The 尸 radical
Reclining body, corpse
Memory hook
A person lying back. The original sense is a reclining body, so characters with it often suggest something lying flat or spread out: 层 (layer), 展 (to unfold), 屋 (house).
The 尸 radical (read shī) means reclining body, corpse. The HSK 3.0 data contains 20 characters and 98 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 尸 radical
Study this radical's 98 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 尸 radical
20 charactersHSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2层
floor; story
HSK 3· 4 characters
HSK 3尽
with all one's strength, to the utmost
屋
house
展
to exhibit, display
属
to belong to
HSK 4· 4 characters
HSK 4尺
the note 'chě' in the gongche musical notation system
尾
tail
局
bureau, office, department
居
to live, to reside
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5届
term, session (unit for periodic events)
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6屏
screen; folding screen
HSK 7-9· 9 characters
HSK 7-9尸
corpse, dead body
尼
Buddhist nun
尿
urine
屈
to bend, to bow down
屉
drawer
屑
scraps, fragments
屠
to slaughter, to butcher (animals)
屡
repeatedly, time and again
履
shoe, sandal
Vocabulary with the 尸 radical
98 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 尸 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (44/98 words of this radical).
floor; story
to develop; development
family members; family dependents
as much as possible; to the best of one's ability
room
to develop; to unfold
to belong to
to belong to
to launch; to carry out; to develop
houses; buildings
the note 'chě' in the gongche musical notation system
ruler
size, dimensions
to do one's best
as soon as possible
tail
bureau, office, department
to reside, to live, to dwell
resident
to the utmost
although, even though
bureau director
situation
layer, level
unexpectedly; to one's surprise
term, session (unit for periodic events)
house
to present, to show
relatives, kin
to participate in an exhibition, to exhibit
with all one's strength, to the utmost
aspect, level, dimension
screen
auto show, car exhibition
high-rise (of a building)
At one's wit's end, helpless, with no way out.
subordinate, junior staff
to disdain, to look down on
deadlock, stalemate situation
the overall situation, the whole picture
public security bureau, police station
to be eliminated, to be knocked out of the competition
successive; previous (sessions/terms)
grassroots, the basic level
Why learn vocabulary by the 尸 radical?
The 尸 radical hints at the meaning reclining body, corpse. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 20 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 98 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.