诗 (shī) - poetry & poem

诗Tone 1

shī ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 讠

上姝

诗 · shī

poetry;

poem;

verse;

literary composition in verse form

poetrypoemverse

Usage highlights

poetrypoetpoemclassical poetrymodern poetrypoetry collection

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 散文— prose (as opposed to verse)
  • 白话— vernacular language (vs. poetic language)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He writes beautiful poetry (写诗).
  • This is a Tang dynasty poem (唐诗).
  • She recited a classical poem (古诗).
  • Modern poetry often breaks traditional forms (现代诗).

Collocations

  • poetry(诗歌)
  • poet(诗人)
  • poem(诗歌)
  • classical poetry(古诗)
  • modern poetry(现代诗)
  • poetry collection(诗集)

Idioms

  • Poetry and etiquette(诗礼传家)
  • Seven-step poem(七步成诗)
  • Poetry and wine(诗酒风流)
  • Poetic and picturesque(诗情画意)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Poetry holds a central position in Chinese literary tradition, dating back to the Classic of Poetry (诗经) from the Western Zhou period.
  • The character combines 'speech' (讠) with 'temple' (寺), suggesting formal, ritualistic language.
  • Poetry was essential for imperial examinations and scholarly achievement in traditional China.

FAQ