氏

shì

clan, family; mister

Meaning

Classifier: Follows a proper name to signal that the preceding word is the lineage name ([Name] 氏).
Collective Noun: Refers to the entirety of the clan as a single entity.

氏 (shì) vs. 姓 (xìng): In early texts, 姓 denotes the primordial ancestral bloodline ("root"), whereas 氏 refers to a specific branch of that lineage often derived from a fief, political office, or notable ancestor. While 姓 identifies biological origin, 氏 identifies social and political identity. This distinction collapsed during the Han period.
氏 (shì) vs. 家 (jiā): 氏 refers to the wider externalized lineage or social affiliation; 家 refers specifically to the domestic unit or household.

Pre-Han: Maintained a distinct meaning from 姓.
Han Period and later: The distinction between 姓 and 氏 collapsed, with 氏 generally functioning as "surname" or "family name."
Later Imperial: Developed an honorific function used as a polite address.

Establish the date of the passage before selecting a gloss, as the meaning shifts significantly by period.
The honorific sense ("Mister") is a late development and should be avoided in early texts.
When choosing between 姓 and 氏 in early contexts: if the text emphasizes blood origin, look toward 姓; if it emphasizes status, political branch, or social niche, 氏 is the operative term.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.