Pinyin "shi4"

In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the Pinyin syllable "shi4" is split up into two parts: "sh" and "Ø4". You can visit the Pinyin index to see how other Pinyin syllables are split up into initials and finals.

Mnemonics for Pinyin initial "sh"

Sh is for Sherlock Holmes.

Mnemonics for Pinyin final "Ø4"

In the space station's bathroom.

Characters pronounced shi4

member of the senior ministerial class (old) / scholar (old) / bachelor / honorific / soldier / noncommissioned officer / specialist worker

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) is meeting the bachelor (士) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). Sherlock Holmes is playing a flute (一) for him, and the bachelor is wearing a huge cross (十) around his neck.
surname Shi
to show / to reveal

= + : A standard or guidon, as used in the military. Sherlock Holmes tries out his new guidon in the space station's bathroom. The standard features a capacitor and a daisy.
to be (followed by substantives only) / correct; right; true / (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well / (adverb for emphatic assertion)

= + + : Mnemonic symbol: a skull, from "to be or not to be".

Sherlock Holmes (sh) watches the Neanderthal Man (人) trying to climb to the sun (日) on a ladder (下) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). Sherlock is afraid that he'll open the window, so he puts on a big skull (是) and scares him off.

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a skull, from "to be or not to be".

Sherlock Holmes (sh) starts his day in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) with a mug of coffee (旦). Holding a skull (mnemonic symbol for 是) in his hands, he asks himself "to be, or not to be" (是). He wonders if he can make the skull come back to life using lots of coffee, and injects coffee from his mug into the skull using a syringe (龰).
variant of 是[shi4] / (used in given names)
to serve / to attend upon

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) became the guru at the local temple (寺) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), and Rosa Luxemburg (亻) is serving (侍) him as the temple's maid (侍).
surname Shi

= + : Sherlock Holmes is investigating the new arrivals in the bathroom of the space station. He unpacks a big sarcophagus, and finds a graduation cap inside.
room / work unit / grave / scabbard / family or clan / one of the 28 constellations of Chinese astronomy

= + : Sherlock Holmes is investigating the new arrivals in the bathroom of the space station. He unpacks a big sarcophagus, and finds a graduation cap inside.
see 似的[shi4 de5]
market / city / CL:個|个[ge4]

= + : Mnemonic symbol: a supermarket.

Sherlock Holmes (sh) started a supermarket (市) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4), but all he has for sale right now are berets (亠) and towels (巾). He should have opened it at the beach!
old variant of 柿[shi4]

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) runs a convenience store (市) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). He sells Christmas trees (木) and persimmons (柿).
persimmon

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) runs a convenience store (市) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). He sells Christmas trees (木) and persimmons (柿).
surname Shi

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) got some new gladiator sandals (辶), but in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) he finds that they don't fit (适) his feet. He does notice however that they fit (适) quite nicely his tongue (舌) if he sticks it into one of the sandals.
to fit / suitable / proper / just (now) / comfortable / well / to go / to follow or pursue

= + : Sherlock Holmes (sh) got some new gladiator sandals (辶), but in the space station's bathroom (Ø4) he finds that they don't fit (适) his feet. He does notice however that they fit (适) quite nicely his tongue (舌) if he sticks it into one of the sandals.
matter / thing / item / work / affair / CL:件[jian4],樁|桩[zhuang1],回[hui2]

= 𠮛 + + : Mnemonic symbol: The thing.

= 𠮛 + + : Sherlock Holmes read a magic scroll in the bathroom of the space station. The scroll promised eternal love to anyone who reads it and wears a pig's nose while doing so, and Sherlock gave it a try. Now he summoned the thing, and he is scared to death! All he has to defend with is a crowbar. However, he never was in danger: Since he is wearing the pig snout, the thing thinks Sherlock is his mommy, and it just wants to cuddle.
type / form / pattern / style

= + : I'll use a specific style as mnemonic symbol: 哥特式, gothic.

Sherlock Holmes and the goth are celebrating a Viking festival in the space station's bathroom. They don't have trunks to throw around, so they use a steel beam. They also celebrate by practising archery. In zero gravity it is easy for them to set one world record after the next.
to test / to try / experiment / examination / test

= + : Sherlock Holmes is doing an eye examination with the goth in the space station's bathroom. Sherlock set up a table with differently sized letters on an advertising column and has the goth read out the letters.
old variant of 視|视[shi4]

= + : Sherlock Holmes prepared a trap in the space station's bathroom. He knows that the murderer will pass by there and set up a lot of surveillance cameras to film him. Additionally he lingers around disguised as a monk in a monk's cowl to look at and observe him personally.
variant of 視|视[shi4] / variant of 示[shi4]

= + : Sherlock Holmes prepared a trap in the space station's bathroom. He knows that the murderer will pass by there and set up a lot of surveillance cameras to film him. Additionally he lingers around disguised as a monk in a monk's cowl to look at and observe him personally.
to look at / to regard / to inspect

= + : Sherlock Holmes prepared a trap in the space station's bathroom. He knows that the murderer will pass by there and set up a lot of surveillance cameras to film him. Additionally he lingers around disguised as a monk in a monk's cowl to look at and observe him personally.