侍

shì

亻 + 寺

Definitions

shì (verb) to serve; to attend upon

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 寺

About

侍 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 亻 denotes a person or human activity, while the phonetic component 寺 (sì) provides the sound, historically, 寺 referred to a government office or court before it came to mean "temple". The character depicts someone standing by to serve, attend, or wait upon a superior (such as an elder, official, or noble), emphasizing physical proximity and readiness to assist. It appears in historical titles for royal attendants and in modern vocabulary for service staff.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他细心地侍候病人。

Tā xìxīn de shìhòu bìngrén.

He carefully serves the patient.

侍女每天打扫房间。

Shìnǚ měitiān dǎsǎo fángjiān.

The maid cleans the room every day.

侍卫保护国王的安全。

Shìwèi bǎohù guówáng de ānquán.

The guards protect the king's safety.

她在餐厅侍应客人。

Tā zài cāntīng shìyìng kèrén.

She serves customers in the restaurant.

这位护士侍奉老人多年。

Zhè wèi hùshi shìfèng lǎorén duō nián.

This nurse has been attending to the elderly for many years.

他立志侍奉父母，直到他们老去。

Tā lìzhì shìfèng fùmǔ, zhídào tāmen lǎo qù.

He is determined to serve his parents until they grow old.

在古代，侍女必须严格遵守礼仪。

Zài gǔdài, shìnǚ bìxū yángé zūnshǒu lǐyí.

In ancient times, maids had to strictly adhere to etiquette.

如果侍卫失职，整个皇宫的安全都会受到威胁。

Rúguǒ shìwèi shīzhí, zhěnggè huánggōng de ānquán dōu huì shòudào wēixié.

If the guards neglect their duty, the entire palace's security will be threatened.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 寺

侍