シ
シ — shi
- Script
- Katakana
- Romaji
- shi / si
- Strokes
- 3
- Group
- Basic (gojūon)
Audio coming soon.
How to remember it
Two short dashes angled like a smile, then a long upward sweep — she's smiling.
シ is three strokes: two short marks on the left side, roughly horizontal, then a long stroke that sweeps up from the bottom left.
シ versus ツ
This is the single most common katakana mix-up.
| Dashes | Final stroke | |
|---|---|---|
| シ (shi) | Stacked on the left, near-horizontal | Sweeps upward from bottom-left |
| ツ (tsu) | Sitting on top, near-vertical | Sweeps downward from top-right |
The stroke direction is the reliable tell; the dash angle follows from it. If you write them with the correct stroke order, the shapes separate themselves.
Example words
- システム shisutemu system
- タクシー takushii taxi
- シャツ shatsu shirt
Easily confused with
These look alike. Drill them side by side before they fossilise.