式

Tap the pinyin to hear it

type; form; pattern; style

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A craftsman using an awl 弋 and a measuring square 工

Components 弋工

style · Heisig RSH #359

arrow + 工 work

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
中国式	Zhōng guó shì	Chinese style; à la chinoise
分子式	fēn zǐ shì	molecular formula
化学式	huà xué shì	chemical formula (e.g. water H2O)
数学公式	shù xué gōng shì	formula
气动式	qì dòng shì	pneumatic
一门式	yī mén shì	one-stop (service, shop etc)
公式化	gōng shì huà	to formalize; formalism in art (esp. as proscribed in USSR and PRC)
式子	shì zi	posture; (math.) expression; formula
有理式	yǒu lǐ shì	rational expression (math.)
不定式	bù dìng shì	infinitive (grammar)
中式	Zhōng shì	Chinese style
中式	zhòng shì	to pass the imperial examinations
台式机	tái shì jī	desktop computer
花式	huā shì	fancy; showy; elaborate; (HK, Tw) (sports) fancy-style; freestyle (as in 花式溜冰[hua1 shi4 li…
手式	shǒu shì	gesture; sign; signal
分式	fēn shì	(math.) fractional expression
体式	tǐ shì	(of characters) form; style (cursive, printed etc); (of a literary work) form; style; genr…
分布式	fēn bù shì	distributed
西式	xī shì	Western style
公式	gōng shì	formula

These characters use 式 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
式 sound part	shì	formula, pattern, rule, style, system
试	shì	to try, to experiment; exam, test
拭	shì	to wipe away stains with a cloth
弑	shì	patricide, matricide
轼	shì	carriage crossbar