私

by Min Min

Pronunciation	:	sī
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Meaning	:	private. (adj) selfish. (adj) secret. (adj) illegal. (adj)
Radical	:	禾
Strokes	:	7
Traditional	:	私
Usage	:	10.5%

Common Words / Phrases:

私奔

sī bēn

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

elope

私人

sī rén

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

private; personal

私事

sī shì

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private affairs

私心

sī xīn

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

selfish motives (or ideas)

私下

sī xià

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

privately

私底下

sī dǐ xia

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

in private

自私

zì sī

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

selfish

走私

zǒu sī

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smuggle

Sentences:

1. He’s too selfish to think of lending me his car.

tā

hěn

zì

sī

，

bú

xiǎng

bǎ

qì

chē

jiè

gěi

wǒ

。

他

很

自

私

，

不

想

把

汽

车

借

给

我

。

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

他	:	he
很	:	very
自私	:	selfish
不想	:	not willing
把	:	used to shift the object to before the verb, which must be accompanied by some other expression.
汽车	:	car
借	:	lend
给	:	to
我	:	me

2. My uncle has a farm in Australia.

wǒ

shū

shu

zài

ào

zhōu

yōng

yǒu

yī

gè

sī

rén

mù

chǎng

。

我

叔

在

澳

洲

拥

有

一

个

私

人

牧

场

。

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

我叔叔	:	my uncle
在	:	at
澳洲	:	Australia
拥有	:	have
一	:	one
个	:	measure word
私人	:	private; personal
牧场	:	farm

3. I’ll have a quiet word with him.

wǒ	yào	sī	xià	gēn	tā	tán	tán	。
我	要	私	下	跟	他	谈	谈	。

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

我	:	I
要	:	want to
私下	:	privately; in private
跟	:	with
他	:	him
谈谈	:	talk

4. The customs officials confiscated the contraband.

hǎi	guān	guān	yuán	mò	shōu	le	zǒu	sī	wù	pǐn	。
海	关	官	员	没	收	了	走	私	物	品	。

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

海关	:	customs
官员	:	officials
没收	:	confiscate
了	:	(particle) used after an action that has taken place
走私	:	smuggled
物品	:	goods; stuff; thing; item