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Chinese Characters starting with S – ChineseNameGuide

Character specimen atlas

Characters beginning with S.

Compare characters whose pinyin begins with S, then weigh tone, structure, and meaning as one naming decision.

Pinyin S24 in view

01丄shàng 02三sān 03上shàng

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24 characters in view.

Pinyin lens: S

Radical

Stroke count

Pinyin initial

Indexed specimens

Read by form, sound, and meaning

24 characters in view

shàng

An ancient form of 上 (shàng), meaning 'above', 'on', 'top', 'up', 'previous',

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 2
Pinyin index: SH

sān

Three; several, many; third

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 3
Pinyin index: S

shàng

up; above; upper

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 3
Pinyin index: SH

shì

generation; world; era

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: SH

shì

An archaic variant form of 世, meaning generation, era, world, lifetime.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: SH

sī

silk; thread; filament

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 一
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: S

sàng

to lose; to be bereaved of; to mourn

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 十
Strokes: 8
Pinyin index: S

shū

book; document; to write

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 乛
Strokes: 4
Pinyin index: SH

shǐ

An archaic form of 始, meaning 'beginning', 'start', 'commence'.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 乛
Strokes: 6
Pinyin index: SH

shí

A character used in Korean names and place names; a phonetic character in Korean Hanja.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 乙
Strokes: 6
Pinyin index: SH

shā

A phonetic character used in Korean place names and personal names; no standard meaning in Chinese.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 乙
Strokes: 8
Pinyin index: SH

suǒ

Korean reading tool for Chinese characters; used in Korean hanja reading marks (gugyeol) to indicate pronunciation.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: Not recorded
Strokes: 9
Pinyin index: S

shì

variant form of 事 — affair, matter, thing, business; to serve

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亅
Strokes: 7
Pinyin index: SH

shì

matter, affair, thing, business; to serve; event, incident

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亅
Strokes: 8
Pinyin index: SH

sì

Four — an archaic form of the number four (四).

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 二
Strokes: 4
Pinyin index: S

suì

Ancient form of 歲 (year, age); archaic character for year or harvest time.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 二
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: S

shén

what; various; sundry

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 4
Pinyin index: SH

shì

Official; to serve as an official; to hold a government post

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: SH

sā

Three (of something); colloquial term meaning 'three' in the sense of 'three people' or 'three

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 5
Pinyin index: S

sǎn

Umbrella; parasol; something shaped like an umbrella.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 人
Strokes: 6
Pinyin index: S

shāng

to injure; to wound; to hurt

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 6
Pinyin index: SH

shēn

to stretch, extend, straighten out; to state, express; to act as a go-between

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 7
Pinyin index: SH

sì

to resemble; to be similar to; to seem

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 6
Pinyin index: S

sì

To resemble; to be similar to; a surname.

Naming use not reviewed

This atlas entry documents the character; it is not an automatic naming recommendation.

Radical: 亻
Strokes: 7
Pinyin index: S

Index in view

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characters in view

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Reading notes

How to evaluate a name character

Practical guidance for weighing structure, writing rhythm, and cultural resonance.

How do radicals help when choosing characters?

Radicals group characters by their core semantic or structural elements. When you filter by radical, you surface characters that share meaning cues and writing patterns, making it easier to shortlist options with aligned symbolism.

What’s a good stroke range for name characters?

Most parents stay within 6–16 strokes so signatures remain elegant and readable. Avoid extremes—overly complex forms slow writing, while ultra-simple characters may feel plain next to a more expressive partner character.

Do characters have gender?

Chinese characters themselves are largely gender-neutral. Perceived gender comes from imagery and cultural associations, so review meanings and radicals together to find characters that match the tone you want.

Related topics:Chinese name generator Pronunciation guide How to choose characters