事 (shì) - matter, affair, thing, business & to serve

事Tone 4

shì ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 亅

上姝

事 · shì

matter, affair, thing, business;

to serve;

event, incident

matter, affair, thing, businessto serveevent, incident

Usage highlights

matter/affairevent/incidentbusiness/workstory/narrativefactservant

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 人— person (as opposed to matter)
  • 物— object, thing (physical vs. abstract affair)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is an important matter (重要的事).
  • He is busy with work (工作的事).
  • Tell me what happened (发生了什么事).
  • She serves in the government (在政府做事).

Collocations

  • matter/affair(事情)
  • event/incident(事件)
  • business/work(事业)
  • story/narrative(故事)
  • fact(事实)
  • servant(事奉)

Idioms

  • Mind your own business(多管闲事)
  • Unforeseen circumstances(事出有因)
  • Accomplish two things at once(一事两便)
  • Things change with the passage of time(事过境迁)
  • Seek truth from facts(实事求是)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most common characters in Chinese, appearing in numerous compound words related to affairs and matters.
  • In Confucian thought, properly handling 'affairs' (事) is essential for social harmony and personal cultivation.
  • The character originally depicted a hand holding a tally or record, symbolizing official business or affairs.

FAQ