势shì

势

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified form (簡體). 势 (shì, "power, force, tendency") pairs the strength radical 力 with 丸, a phonetic element that once depicted a ball or丸状物. The traditional 勢 preserves a more complex right side, but the simplified version captures the essence — force in motion, whether political 局势 (situation), 势力 (influence), or the physical势能 (potential energy) that drives the world.

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Shuowen

势 (shì) denotes power, force, or tendency. The ancient form pictured a hand (又) grasping a bamboo staff, a symbol of a standard or measure of force. Later the semantic 力 (strength) was added and the phonetic 埶 was used, reinforcing the sense of powerful influence.

Pinyin

shì· HSK 2

势shì

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin