身 shēn body
body; oneself; identity
How it came to be
A person seen from the side with the belly drawn swollen and a mark inside it. It was a pregnant body first, the body with something in it, and only then anybody's body.
How it is used
- The physical body/torso: 身体 (shēntǐ, body/health), 全身 (quánshēn) the whole body.
- Also 'oneself, in person' and 'at one's side' - 身边 (shēnbiān) right beside you, 亲身 (qīnshēn) personally.
- In 身份证 (shēnfènzhèng, ID card) it shifts to 'identity/status', a common extended sense.
Characters built with 身
Words with 身
- 身体shēntǐbodyHSK 2
- 身边shēnbiānat one's sideHSK 3
- 身高shēngāoheightHSK 3
- 健身jiànshēnto exerciseHSK 4
- 健身房jiànshēnfánggymHSK 4
- 全身quánshēnthe whole bodyHSK 4
- 身份证shēnfènzhèngidentity cardHSK 4
- 自身zìshēnitselfHSK 5
- 身份shēnfènidentityHSK 5
- 身材shēncáistatureHSK 5
- 一身yìshēnwhole bodyHSK 6
- 本身běnshēnitselfHSK 6
- 终身zhōngshēnlifelongHSK 6
- 身心shēnxīnbody and mindHSK 6
- 转身zhuǎnshēnto turn roundHSK 6
- 亲身qīnshēnpersonalHSK 7
- 人身rénshēnpersonHSK 7
- 以身作则yǐshēn-zuòzéto set an example (idiom)HSK 7
- 全身心quánshēnxīnwholeheartedlyHSK 7
- 出身chūshēnto be born ofHSK 7
- 切身qièshēndirectHSK 7
- 动身dòngshēnto go on a journeyHSK 7
- 化身huàshēnincarnationHSK 7
- 单身dānshēnunmarriedHSK 7
- 翻身fānshēnto turn over (when lying)HSK 7
- 脱身tuōshēnto get awayHSK 7
- 身不由己shēnbùyóujǐbeyond one's controlHSK 7
- 身价shēnjiàsocial statusHSK 7
- 身子shēnzibodyHSK 7
- 身影shēnyǐngsilhouetteHSK 7
- 随身suíshēnto (carry) on one's personHSK 7
- 投身tóushēnto throw oneself into somethingHSK 8
- 浑身húnshēnall overHSK 9
- 独身dúshēnunmarriedHSK 9
- 藏身cángshēnto hideHSK 9
- 身躯shēnqūbodyHSK 9
Example sentences
- 她为了健康锻炼身体。 Tā wèile jiànkāng duànliàn shēntǐ.She exercises for her health.
- 他的身体情况不好。 Tā de shēntǐ qíngkuàng bù hǎo.He's not in good condition.
- 医生仔细检查她的身体。 Yīshēng zǐxì jiǎnchá tā de shēntǐ.The doctor is checking her health carefully.
- 多劳动对身体有好处。 Duō láodòng duì shēntǐ yǒu hǎochù.It's good for one's health to do manual labor.