肆

sì

聿 + 镸

Definitions

sì (numeral) four (in financial contexts)

sì (adjective) unrestrained; wanton

sì (noun) shop; store

Etymology

Depicts a hand restraining a domestic animal (㣇) by holding its tail (隶). 㣇 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "kill domestic animals and display them". The meaning later shifted to "shop", "wanton", "unrestrained", and "indulge".

About

The character 肆 originally depicted a hand (隶) restraining a domestic animal (㣇) by its tail, with 㣇 also providing the sound. Its earliest meaning was to slaughter livestock and display them. This sense shifted to denote a shop or market stall where goods are exhibited, then expanded to describe wanton, unrestrained, or indulgent behavior. In formal financial writing, 肆 is used as the anti-fraud numeral for four.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

狂风在窗外肆虐。

Kuángfēng zài chuāng wài sìnüè。

The fierce wind wreaked havoc outside the window.

病毒在这个地区肆虐了数月。

Bìngdú zài zhège dìqū sìnüè le shù yuè。

The virus raged in this area for several months.

孩子们在公园里放肆地奔跑玩耍。

Háizimen zài gōngyuán lǐ fàngsì de bēnpǎo wánshuǎ。

The children ran and played wildly in the park.

新闻大肆报道了这次国际会议。

Xīnwén dàsì bàodào le zhè cì guójì huìyì。

The news extensively reported on this international conference.

他肆无忌惮地抄袭他人的作品。

Tā sìwújìdàn de chāoxí tārén de zuòpǐn。

He plagiarized other people's work without any scruples.

战火肆虐过后，城市满目疮痍。

Zhànhuǒ sìnüè guòhòu, chéngshì mǎnmùchuāngyí。

After the ravages of war, the city lay in ruins.

作为领导，他从不曾在工作中放肆自己的脾气。

Zuòwéi lǐngdǎo, tā cóng bù céng zài gōngzuò zhōng fàngsì zìjǐ de píqì。

As a leader, he never allows himself to lose his temper at work.

那家公司因肆行金融欺诈而受到法律的严厉制裁。

Nà jiā gōngsī yīn sìxíng jīnróng qīzhà ér shòudào fǎlǜ de yánlì zhìcái。

That company was severely sanctioned by law for wantonly engaging in financial fraud.

Related Characters

Component: 聿

Component: 镸

肆