The character is based on the original meaning "file of ten soldiers". The modern meaning "what" is a phonetic loan.
Components
Notes
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Historical Evolution
什
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
什
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
什
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
什
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
什
Regular
Modern
Chinese
什 [shén]
what
什 [shí]
ten (used in fractions, writing checks etc); assorted; miscellaneous
Japanese
- ten; 10 (拾 is used in legal documents)
- ten years of age
- book containing a collection of poems
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
什 しゅうさく
Shuusaku unclassified name
什 そうさく
Sousaku unclassified name
CHINESE WORDS (155)
什么 [shénme] #17
what?
什么 [shénme] #17
what?
为什么 [wèishénme] #86
why?
为什么 [wèishénme] #86
why?
没什么 [méishénme] #371
nothing
没什么 [méishénme] #371
nothing
什么样 [shénmeyàng] #1,015
what kind?
什么样 [shénmeyàng] #1,015
what kind?
布什 [Bùshí] #6,223
Bush (name)
干什么 [gànshénme] #892
what are you doing?
145 more
items
JAPANESE WORDS (12)
⭐ 十 [じゅう] #1,549
ten
什器 [じゅうき] #70,622
utensil
一伍一什 [いちごいちじゅう] #108,327
full particulars
什宝 [じゅうほう] #183,589
treasured article
什物 [じゅうもつ] #185,954
furniture
恁麼 [いんも] #203,937
this sort
家什 [かじゅう] #262,440
furniture
什一 [じゅういち]
tithe
什一献金 [じゅういちけんきん]
tithes
作麼生 [そもさん]
consider the following
2 more
items
KOREAN WORDS (1)