氏 means “family name, clan”

し · shi

Also: surname

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うじ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 4 strokes

The story

Picture the long hooked stroke of 氏 as a root curling into the soil: the line a family grows from. Japanese forms ask for your 氏名, full name, the news calls someone 田中氏, Mr. or Ms. Tanaka, and 彼氏 is a boyfriend.

Used in 氏名 (shimei, full name), 彼氏 (kareshi, boyfriend), and 氏神 (ujigami, local guardian deity)

More from Kin & Cradle

• 系 lineage
• 郎 son
• 継 inherit
• 誕 birth
• 妊 pregnant
• 稚 young
• 嫁 bride
• 娠 pregnancy
• 胎 womb
• 叔 uncle
• 姻 marriage
• 婿 son-in-law

Learn 氏 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.