shi

Katakana シ (shi)

  • Reads asshi
  • ScriptKatakana
  • Hiragana pair
  • Rows

Remember it

Three strokes sweeping UP, so 'she' rises.

Words that use it

  • シャツ shatsu shirt
  • システム shisutemu system

Don't confuse it with

シ and ツ differ only in stroke direction: シ's short marks sit low and sweep up, ツ's sit high and come down. シャツ contains both, so it is worth staring at.

Watch out

The four シ ツ ソ ン are the hardest thing in katakana and the difference is direction, not shape. Write them by hand a few times; reading alone will not fix it.