About
The character 斯 (sī) is a phono-semantic compound. Its right side is the semantic radical 斤 (jīn), meaning an axe or cutting tool, which indicates the original sense of chopping or splitting. The left side, 其 (qí), provides the phonetic element. This original verb meaning later fell out of use, and the character was repurposed in classical texts as a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "these". Today, it is also commonly used for phonetic transliteration of foreign words.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个斯文的男孩是我的同学。
莫斯科是俄罗斯的首都。
斯科特先生来自英国。
斯里兰卡以红茶闻名。
瓦斯泄漏是非常危险的。
他对这件事进行了斯文的抗议。
波斯地毯具有独特的手工艺价值。
斯人已逝，但其精神永存。