食指

Chinese

		eat; food; to feed eat; food; to feed; animal feed	finger; to point; to direct finger; to point; to direct; to indicate
trad. (食指)		食	指
simp. #(食指)		食	指

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	食	指
Reading #	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	船 (27)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	職 (134)	脂 (17)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	乗力切	職雉切
Baxter	zyik	tsyijX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʑɨk̚/	/t͡ɕˠiɪX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʑɨk̚/	/t͡ɕᵚiX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʑiek̚/	/t͡ɕiɪX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʑik̚/	/cjiX/
Li Rong	/d͡ʑiək̚/	/t͡ɕjiX/
Wang Li	/d͡ʑĭək̚/	/t͡ɕiX/
Bernard Karlgren	/d͡ʑʰi̯ək̚/	/t͡ɕiX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shí	zhǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sik6	zi2

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	食	指
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shí	zhǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ zyik ›	‹ tsyijX ›
Old Chinese	/*mə-lək/	/*mə.kijʔ/
English	eat	finger; point
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	食	指
Reading #	2/2	1/1
No.	11477	17325
Phonetic component	食	旨
Rime group	職	脂
Rime subdivision	0	2
Corresponding MC rime		旨
Old Chinese	/*ɦljɯɡ/	/*kjiʔ/

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): shízhǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˊ ㄓˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): si² zi³

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sik⁶ zi²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): si̍t-chí
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁸zeq-tsy

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shízhǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˊ ㄓˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shíhjhǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih²-chih³
    • Yale: shŕ-jř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyrjyy
    • Palladius: шичжи (šičži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: si² zi³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: sz
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩²¹ t͡sz̩⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sik⁶ zi²
    • Yale: sihk jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sik⁹ dzi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xig⁶ ji²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪk̚² t͡siː³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: si̍t-chí
    • Tâi-lô: si̍t-tsí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sidcie
    • IPA (Xiamen): /sit̚⁴⁻³² t͡si⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sit̚²⁴⁻² t͡si⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sit̚⁴⁻³² t͡si⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sit̚⁴⁻³² t͡si⁴¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁸zeq-tsy
    • MiniDict: zeh^入 tsy
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵zeq-tsr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zəʔ¹¹ t͡sz̩²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: zyik tsyijX

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*mə-lək  mə.kijʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɦljɯɡ  kjiʔ/

Noun

食指

1. index finger
2. mouths to feed

Synonyms

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		食指, 示指 Mainland China
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	二拇哥, 二拇弟, 二拇指, 二拇手指頭
	Taiwan	食指
	Langfang	二拇哥
	Ulanhot	二拇哥
	Tongliao	二拇哥
	Chifeng	食指, 二拇弟, 二拇娘, 二拇哥
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	食指, 二拇指, 二拇哥
	Harbin	食指, 二拇指
	Shenyang	食指, 二拇指
	Malaysia	食指
	Singapore	食指
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	二拇指
	Tangshan	二末手指頭, 二拇指, 二拇指頭
	Cangzhou	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭, 二拇哥
	Baoding	二拇弟
	Shijiazhuang	二拇指頭兒, 二拇弟
	Jinan	二拇指, 食指, 二拇指頭, 二門指頭
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	食指, 二拇指頭, 二拇指
	Qingdao	二拇指頭
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	二拇指頭, 食指
	Daming	二拇指頭兒
	Wanrong	二面手圪頭
	Zhengzhou	二末指頭
	Xi'an	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭
	Xining	二拇指頭
	Xuzhou	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	二拇指頭
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	二拇指頭
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	二拇指
	Bayanhot	二拇嘎
	Lanzhou	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭
	Ürümqi	二拇指頭, 食指, 二拇指弟
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	二指拇兒, 食指
	Chongqing	二拇指兒
	Wuhan	食指, 二指甲
	Guiyang	食指, 二指拇, 二指頭
	Kunming	食指, 二拇指
	Guilin	二指媽
	Liuzhou	吃指, 糧指, 食指, 二拇指
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	二拇指, 二指抹頭, 二指頭, 二馬指
	Yangzhou	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭
	Nantong	二拇指頭
	Hefei	食指, 二拇指
	Huanggang	二指丫兒
Cantonese	Guangzhou	食指, 二指
	Hong Kong	食指, 二指
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	食指
	Macau	食指
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	食指, 二指
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	二指
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	二指
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	二指
	Foshan	食指, 二指
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	食指, 二指
	Foshan (Shunde)	二指
	Foshan (Sanshui)	二指
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	二指
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	二指
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	二指
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	二指
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	二指
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	食指
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	食指
	Taishan	食指, 二指
	Kaiping (Chikan)	食指
	Enping (Niujiang)	二指
	Heshan (Yayao)	二指
	Dongguan	食指
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	食指
	Qingyuan	食指
	Fogang	拈食指
	Yingde (Hanguang)	二指
	Yangshan	食指, 二指
	Lianshan (Butian)	食指
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	食指
	Shaoguan	食指
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	食指
	Renhua	食指
	Lechang	食指
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	食指
	Sihui	食指
	Guangning	食指
	Deqing	手指公
	Huaiji	食指
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	雞公指, 雞公
	Yunfu	扁二指, 點鹽指
	Xinxing	食指
	Luoding	食指
	Yunan (Pingtai)	二指
	Xinyi	食指
	Lianjiang	食指
	Nanning	食指, 二指
	Wuzhou	食指, 二指
	Yulin	食指
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	食指
Gan	Nanchang	二拇指頭
	Lichuan	二手節
	Pingxiang	第二隻手指腦
Hakka	Meixian	二手指
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	食指
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	食指
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	食指
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	二指
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	食指
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	食指
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	食指
	Wuhua (Changbu)	食指
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	手指嫲
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	食指
	Yudu	二手指, 食指
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	蛇頭指, 指人指, 拈食指
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	指人指, 拈食指
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	蛇頭指, 拈食指
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	食指, 指人指, 蛇頭指
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	蛇頭指, 指人指, 拈食指
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	第二指
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	食指
	Sabah (Longchuan)	食指
	Singkawang	拈食指
Huizhou	Jixi	食指
	Shexian	食指
Jin	Taiyuan	二拇指頭
	Pingyao	二拇指頭兒
	Xinzhou	二拇指頭
	Taibus (Baochang)	二拇指頭
	Linhe	食指, 二拇指, 二拇指頭子
	Jining	二拇指頭
	Hohhot	二拇哥兒
	Baotou	二拇指頭
	Dongsheng	食指
	Haibowan	二拇指
	Zhangjiakou	二拇哥兒
	Handan	二拇指頭
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	雞角指, 雞母指 humorous
	Fuqing	雞角指, 食指
	Matsu	雞角指
Southern Min	Xiamen	指指
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	指指
	Quanzhou	指指
	Jinjiang	指指
	Zhangzhou	雞指
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	指指
	Yunxiao	雞指
	Zhao'an	食指
	Taipei	二指, 指指
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	報路
	Kaohsiung	二指, 指指
	Yilan	指指, 二指, 第二指
	Changhua (Lukang)	指指
	Taichung	指指
	Tainan	二指, 指指
	Hsinchu	二指
	Kinmen	指指
	Penghu (Magong)	指指
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	食指
	Chaozhou	雞指
	Shantou	雞指
	Jieyang	雞指
	Haifeng	第二指
	Leizhou	戳鹽手囝
	Haikou	第二手囝
	Qionghai	舉天
Central Min	Yong'an	食指
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	二指
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	食指
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	第二個
Wu	Shanghai	食指, 雞節頭
	Shanghai (Chongming)	二節頭
	Suzhou	指人節頭
	Danyang	二拇指頭
	Hangzhou	食指
	Ningbo	食指
	Wenzhou	指天指
	Jinhua	食指, 點鹽指
Xiang	Changsha	二指腦, 二指拇
	Loudi	二手指腦
	Hengyang	二手腦
	Quanzhou	食指

Dialectal synonyms of 食指 (“index finger”) [map]

Derived terms

• 食指大動／食指大动 (shízhǐdàdòng)
• 食指浩繁

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (食指):

• → Japanese: 食(しょく)指(し) (shokushi)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
食	指
しょく Grade: 2	し Grade: 3
on'yomi

From Chinese 食指 (shízhǐ). The kanji is jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょくし [shóꜜkùshì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1][2][3]
• (Tokyo) しょくし [shòkúshí] (Heiban – [0])^[1][3]
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞kɯ̟̊ɕi]

• Homophones: 食思, 喞子, 職司

Noun

食(しょく)指(し) • (shokushi) ^{←しよくし (syokusi)?}

1. an index finger; a forefinger

Idioms

• 食(しょく)指(し)が動(うご)く (shokushi ga ugoku, “feel a strong desire for”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
食	指
Grade: 2	ゆび Grade: 3
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 食指 – see the following entry.

【人差ひとさし指ゆび】 [noun] an index finger; a forefinger Alternative spelling 人差指

(This term, 食指, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
2. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN