祀

禩

sì

巳 + 礻

Definitions

sì to sacrifice; to offer libation to

sì variant of 祀[sì]

Etymology phono-semantic

spirit

Semantic: 礻 Phonetic: 巳

About

祀 (sì) means to offer sacrifices, perform religious ceremonies, or worship ancestors and deities. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 礻, a variant of 示 (shì) meaning 'spirit' or 'altar', indicates religious rites and the supernatural, while the right component 巳 (sì), the sixth Earthly Branch, provides the pronunciation. Historically, the character also functioned as a chronological term in certain ancient calendars, designating a specific year or cyclical period and underscoring the connection between agricultural cycles, the passage of time, and regular ceremonial offerings.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们祭祀祖先。

Wǒmen jìsì zǔxiān.

We worship our ancestors.

清明节人们祭祀先人。

Qīngmíng jié rénmen jìsì xiānrén.

During Qingming Festival, people worship their ancestors.

他们在祠堂里祭祀神灵。

Tāmen zài cítáng lǐ jìsì shénlíng.

They worship the gods in the ancestral hall.

古代帝王经常举行祭祀大典。

Gǔdài dìwáng jīngcháng jǔxíng jìsì dàdiǎn.

Ancient emperors often held grand sacrificial ceremonies.

这个节日是为了祭祀天地和祖先。

Zhège jiérì shì wèile jìsì tiāndì hé zǔxiān.

This festival is for worshipping heaven, earth, and ancestors.

村民们按照传统习俗祭祀土地神。

Cūnmín men ànzhào chuántǒng xísú jìsì tǔdì shén.

The villagers worship the land god according to traditional customs.

祭祀活动不仅表达敬意，还传承文化。

Jìsì huódòng bùjǐn biǎodá jìngyì, hái chuánchéng wénhuà.

Sacrificial activities not only express respect but also inherit culture.

在现代社会，祭祀仪式有了新的形式和意义。

Zài xiàndài shèhuì, jìsì yíshì yǒule xīn de xíngshì hé yìyì.

In modern society, sacrificial rituals have taken on new forms and meanings.

Related Characters

Component: 巳

Component: 礻

Example Words