Translation and Meaning of: し - shi

The Japanese word し (shi) is a short term, but full of nuances and interesting uses in the Japanese language. If you are learning Japanese or are just curious about the language, understanding the meaning and context of this word can be very helpful. In this article, we will explore from the basics, like its translation and writing, to deeper aspects, such as its cultural usage and frequency in daily life. Suki Nihongo, the best online Japanese dictionary, is a great tool to complement your learning.

In addition to being a grammatical particle and a common suffix, し also appears in expressions and even in Japanese proverbs. Its simplicity hides a wealth of meanings that vary according to the context. Let's unravel all of this clearly and directly, without unnecessary complications.

Meaning and uses of the word し

In its most basic form, し can be translated as "and" or "besides" when used as a particle. It connects sentences or ideas, adding a tone of enumeration or justification. For example, in a sentence like "寒いし、疲れたし、家に帰りたい" (Samui shi, tsukareta shi, ie ni kaeritai), the translation would be "It's cold, I'm tired and I want to go home." Here, し helps to list reasons naturally.

Another common use of し is as a suffix in words like 願いし (negaishi) or 思し (omoishi), although these cases are rarer in modern Japanese. It is worth noting that, unlike other particles, し carries a nuance of emphasis, often indicating that there are more reasons beyond those mentioned. This subtlety may go unnoticed by beginners, but it is essential for a more advanced mastery of the language.

The origin and writing of し

The word し is written in hiragana, one of the Japanese syllabaries, but it also corresponds to the kanji 死, which means "death." However, it is important to highlight that the use of the kanji 死 to represent し is restricted to specific contexts, such as compound words or expressions. Most of the time, especially when functioning as a particle, し appears in hiragana to avoid ambiguities.

Regarding its origin, し comes from Old Japanese and has roots in Classical language. Its evolution has accompanied the grammatical simplification of the language over the centuries. Although it is not one of the oldest particles, its use became established during the Edo period, when the Japanese language underwent various structural changes. Today, it is a common word both in everyday speech and in informal writing.

Curiosities and tips for memorizing し

An interesting fact about し is that, although it seems simple, many Japanese learners take time to realize its function of connecting ideas with emphasis. A helpful tip for memorizing its use is to associate it with situations where you want to list reasons or justify something. For example, when explaining why you didn't leave the house, saying "雨だし、忙しいし" (Ame da shi, isogashii shi) sounds more natural than simply listing the facts without the particle.

Moreover, し often appears in dialogues of animes and dramas, which can aid in learning. Paying attention to how characters use this particle in emotional or explanatory contexts is a practical way to absorb its meaning. Suki Nihongo provides real examples of sentences with し, making it easier to understand its application in daily life.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 四 (shi) - four
• 詩 (shi) - poetry
• 志 (shi) - Determination; aspiration
• 士 (shi) - Samurai; warrior
• 仕 (shi) - Service; work
• 死 (shi) - Death
• 私 (shi) - Private; I (pronoun)
• 始 (shi) - Start; begin
• 子 (shi) - Son; child
• 指 (shi) - Pointing; finger
• 持 (ji) - Possess; hold
• 試 (shi) - Test; to experiment
• 旨 (shi) - Purpose; intention
• 誌 (shi) - Record; annals
• 織 (shiki) - Weave; fabric
• 視 (shi) - Vision; gaze
• 紫 (shi) - Purple
• 湿 (shitsu) - damp
• 摯 (shi) - Sincere feeling; deep
• 雌 (shi) - Female; woman
• 詩人 (shijin) - poet
• 資格 (shikaku) - Qualification; condition
• 指導 (shidou) - Guidance; leadership

し

Romaji: shi
Kana: し
Type: Letter
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: 10^24 (Kanji is Jis X 0212 Kuten 4906); Settillion (American); Quadrillion (British)

Meaning in English: 10^24 (kanji is JIS X 0212 kuten 4906);septillion (American);quadrillion (British)

Definition: shi [automatic] 1. Appear alone, without worrying about anything else. say. "Please be considerate." 2 Pretending to know. “Even though I'm good at this, I'm not as good as him.” 3 Bring it out. "I complained about the title." 【other】 1 Ask. Visit. "There is nothing you don't understand. I'm thinking of trying..." 2 Ask. Ask questions and ask questions. "This is a subject where you should use your wisdom in the best way possible." 3. Ask the other person by phone or letter. "How are you? Let's meet."

Example Sentences - (し) shi

See below some example sentences:

私は新しいプロジェクトを仕掛けるつもりです。

Watashi wa atarashii purojekuto o shikakeru tsumori desu

I intend to start a new project.

I'm going to set up a new project.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 新しい (atarashii) - adjective meaning "new"
• プロジェクト (purojekuto) - noun meaning "project"
• を (wo) - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "project"
• 仕掛ける (shikakeru) - verb meaning "to begin" or "to begin"
• つもり (tsumori) - expression that indicates the intention to do something
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

私は日本語を覚えるために毎日勉強しています。

Watashi wa nihongo o oboeru tame ni mainichi benkyou shiteimasu

I study Japanese every day to keep myself sharp.

I study every day to learn Japanese.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 日本語 (nihongo) - noun meaning "Japanese"
• を (wo) - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "japonês"
• 覚える (oboeru) - verb that means "to remember" or "to learn"
• ために (tameni) - expression meaning "for" or "in order to"
• 毎日 (mainichi) - noun that means "every day"
• 勉強しています (benkyou shiteimasu) - The expression that means "I am studying"

私は彼女に尽くすことを決めました。

Watashi wa kanojo ni tsukusu koto o kimemashita

I decided to dedicate myself to her.

I decided to do my best.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that marks the topic of the sentence, in this case "I"
• 彼女 (kanojo) - noun that means "girlfriend"
• に (ni) - particle that indicates the target of the action, in this case "for my girlfriend"
• 尽くす (tsukusu) - A verb that means "to dedicate oneself," "to serve," or "to treat with care."
• こと (koto) - noun that means "thing," used to transform the verb into a noun
• を (wo) - particle that marks the direct object of the action, in this case "the dedication"
• 決めました (kimemashita) - verb that means "to decide," conjugated in the past, indicating that the action has already been completed.

私は自分の主張をしっかりと伝えたいと思います。

Watashi wa jibun no shuchou wo shikkari to tsutaetai to omoimasu

I want to convey my claims firmly.

I want to convey my claims firmly.

• 私 (watashi) - Japanese personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - Japanese particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 自分 (jibun) - Japanese reflexive pronoun meaning "myself"
• の (no) - Japanese particle that indicates possession or relationship between words
• 主張 (shuchou) - Japanese noun meaning "claim" or "argument"
• を (wo) - Japanese particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence
• しっかりと (shikkari to) - Japanese adverb meaning "firmly" or "firmly"
• 伝えたい (tsutaetai) - Japanese verb meaning "to want to convey"
• と (to) - Japanese particle indicating a quote or a condition
• 思います (omoimasu) - Japanese verb that means "to think" or "to believe"

私の車はガレージにあります。

Watashi no kuruma wa gareji ni arimasu

My car is in the garage.

My car is in the garage.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun meaning "I" or "mine"
• の (no) - possessive particle that indicates possession or relationship between two nouns
• 車 (kuruma) - noun that means "car" or "vehicle"
• は (wa) - Thematic particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case "my car"
• ガレージ (garēji) - noun meaning "garage"
• に (ni) - destination particle indicating where something is located, in this case "in the garage"
• あります (arimasu) - verb meaning "to be present" or "to exist", in this case "my car is in the garage"

私は毎日会社の出入りをしています。

Watashi wa mainichi kaisha no deiri o shiteimasu

I walk in and out of the company every day.

I walk in and out of the company every day.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case "I"
• 毎日 (mainichi) - adverb meaning "every day"
• 会社 (kaisha) - noun meaning "company"
• の (no) - particle indicating ownership, in this case "of the company"
• 出入り (deiri) - noun meaning "in and out"
• を (wo) - particle indicating the direct object of the action, in this case "to do"
• しています (shiteimasu) - verb indicating continuous action in the present tense, in this case "I am doing"

私は古い携帯電話を新しいものに代えました。

Watashi wa furui keitai denwa wo atarashii mono ni kaemashita

I swapped my old phone for a new one.

I replaced the old cell phone with a new one.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 古い (furui) - adjective meaning "old"
• 携帯電話 (keitai denwa) - mobile phone
• を (wo) - direct object particle indicating the object of the action
• 新しい (atarashii) - adjective meaning "new"
• もの (mono) - noun that means "thing"
• に (ni) - particle that indicates the direction of the action
• 代えました (kaemashita) - The verb that means "I exchanged" is "trocado".

私は同じことを繰り返すとすぐに飽きます。

Watashi wa onaji koto wo kurikaesu to sugu ni akiramasu

I get bored quickly when I do the same thing over and over again.

I get bored as soon as I repeat the same thing.

• 私 (watashi) - I
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 同じ (onaji) - Mesmo, igual
• こと (koto) - thing
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 繰り返す (kurikaesu) - repeat
• と (to) - Quote particle
• すぐに (sugu ni) - immediately
• 飽きます (akimasu) - to get bored, tired

私は毎日何を食べるか選ぶのが難しいです。

Watashi wa mainichi nani wo taberu ka erabu no ga muzukashii desu

It's hard to choose what to eat every day.

It's hard to choose what to eat every day.

• 私 (watashi) - I
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 毎日 (mainichi) - every day
• 何 (nani) - what
• を (wo) - Direct object particle
• 食べる (taberu) - Eat
• か (ka) - interrogative particle
• 選ぶ (erabu) - Choose
• のが (noga) - Nominal particle
• 難しい (muzukashii) - Difficult
• です (desu) - Ser/estar (polite form)

私のスケジュールはいっぱいです。

Watashi no sukejuuru wa ippai desu

My schedule is full.

My schedule is full.

• 私 (watashi) - Japanese personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - Japanese particle that indicates possession or relationship between words
• スケジュール (sukejuuru) - Japanese word meaning "agenda" or "schedule"
• は (wa) - Japanese particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case, "my agenda"
• いっぱい (ippai) - Japanese adjective that means "cheio" or "lotado"
• です (desu) - Japanese linking verb that indicates the polite or formal form of the sentence