石 Component
shí · stone; rock
Look for 石 inside new characters. It often points toward stone or rock, so you can guess the meaning family before memorizing the full character.
How to Use It
Use the component as a reading move, then confirm the full character.
Spot 石
Find the repeated shape before trying to memorize the whole character.
Use the meaning clue
Treat 石 as a hint toward stone; rock.
Check the rest
Use the remaining parts for the specific meaning or sound, then confirm on the character page.
Read the Pattern
Start with the shared clue, compare what changes, then try the same move on more characters.
Shared clue
usually points toward stone; rock.
石 gives the broad meaning family. The rest of the character can narrow the meaning, supply a sound hint, or simply complete the word.
pò
break
mǎ
a sign or symbol
yìng
hard
kuàng
ore, mine, mineral deposit
yán
to grind, to polish, to study
wǎn
a bowl of
Words You Can Read Next
Move from single characters into vocabulary. The component clue helps recognition; the word page gives context and examples.
to go bankrupt; go broke; become insolvent
destroy; wreck; ruin
hardware
stiff; rigid; inflexible
hard; solid; rigidity
to hew
break a rule; make an exception
break through; surmount
smash; shatter
石 Component FAQ
Common questions about using 石 as a Chinese character component.
What is the 石 component in Chinese characters?
石 (shí) is a Chinese character component meaning "stone; rock". On HanziStroke it is taught as a meaning clue, with 50 related characters available for stroke order practice and vocabulary study.
Is 石 a radical or a component?
石 can be part of a character structure. A radical is the dictionary indexing component, while a component is any meaningful or phonetic building block inside a character. This page focuses on 石 as a learning pattern.
How does 石 help me remember characters?
For 石 characters, picture a hard material first; the rest of the character often tells you the action or object.