始
始 (shǐ) · to begin
始 (shǐ) means “to begin”. It is made of 女 + 台 and has 8 strokes.
Break 始 into its parts
What 始 is made of
- 女 nǚ — woman
- 台 tái — used in place names
- 厶 sī — private
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 女 gives the meaning, 台 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
始 stroke order
Example sentences with 开始
我们开始上课吧。Wǒmen kāishǐ shàngkè ba.Let's start the class.
电影几点开始？Diànyǐng jǐ diǎn kāishǐ?What time does the movie start?
Words with 始
Also built with 女
- 奴núslave
- 奶nǎimilk
- 她tāshe
- 好hǎogood
- 如rúas
- 妄wàngabsurd
- 妆zhuāngadornment
- 妇fùmarried woman
- 妈māmother
- 妒dùjealous
- 妙miàomysterious
- 妥tuǒsecure
Quick facts
| Pinyin | shǐ |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to begin |
| Strokes | 8 |
| Radical | 女 (woman, #38) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
Questions about 始
What does 始 mean?
始 (shǐ) means “to begin”.
How many strokes does 始 have?
始 has 8 strokes.
What is the radical of 始?
The radical of 始 is 女 (nǚ, “woman”), Kangxi radical number 38.
What parts make up 始?
始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台 (used in place names).
Keep learning
Start with HSK 1 · Group 1: 10 words with quick checks and spaced repeats.