pīnyīn 
pin1yin1 
ㄓㄨㄧㄣ 
 
simplified 
traditional 
 
势 
勢 
shi4 
 
 
power; influence; potential; momentum; tendency; trend; situation; conditions; outward appearance; sign; gesture; male genitals 
 
strokes 
13 
 
radical 
 
 
strokes after radical 
11 
 
病势 
病勢 
bing4 shi4 
 
 
degree of seriousness of an illness; patient's condition 
财势 
財勢 
cai2 shi4 
 
 
wealth and influence 
趁势 
趁勢 
chen4 shi4 
 
 
to take advantage of a favorable situation; to seize an opportunity 
乘势 
乘勢 
cheng2 shi4 
 
 
to seize the opportunity; to strike while the iron is hot 
磁动势 
磁動勢 
ci2 dong4 shi4 
 
 
magnetomotive force 
打把势 
打把勢 
da3 ba3 shi5 
 
 
drill (in sword play); to thrash around; to demonstrate gymnastic skills; to solicit financial help (in an indirect way); to show off 
大势所趋 
大勢所趨 
da4 shi4 suo3 qu1 
 
 
general trend; irresistible trend 
大势至菩萨 
大勢至菩薩 
da4 shi4 zhi4 pu2 sa4 
 
 
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, the Great Strength Bodhisattva 
大张声势 
大張聲勢 
da4 zhang1 sheng1 shi4 
 
 
to spread one's voice wide (idiom); wide publicity 
歹势 
歹勢 
dai3 shi4 
 
 
excuse me; to be sorry; (Taiwanese, POJ pr. ) 
道高益安,势高益危 
道高益安,勢高益危 
dao4 gao1 yi4 an1 - shi4 gao1 yi4 wei1 
 
 
More moral strength increases one's safety, more power and influence increases one's danger (idiom, from Records of the Historian 史記|史记). cf Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it (William Pitt the Elder, 1770). 
得势 
得勢 
de2 shi4 
 
 
to win power; to get authority; to become dominant 
地势 
地勢 
di4 shi4 
 
 
terrain; topography relief 
电动势 
電動勢 
dian4 dong4 shi4 
 
 
electromotive force 
鼎足之势 
鼎足之勢 
ding3 zu2 zhi1 shi4 
 
 
competition between three rivals; tripartite confrontation 
定势 
定勢 
ding4 shi4 
 
 
attitude; mindset; prejudice 
东势 
東勢 
dong1 shi4 
 
 
Dongshi or Tungshih township in Yunlin county 雲林縣|云林县, Taiwan 
东势乡 
東勢鄉 
dong1 shi4 xiang1 
 
 
Dongshi or Tungshih township in Yunlin county 雲林縣|云林县, Taiwan 
东势镇 
東勢鎮 
dong1 shi4 zhen4 
 
 
Tungshih town in Taichung county 臺中縣|台中县, Taiwan 
恶势力 
惡勢力 
e4 shi4 li4 
 
 
evil forces; criminal elements 
反动势力 
反動勢力 
fan3 dong4 shi4 li5 
 
 
reactionary forces (esp. in Marxist rhetoric) 
反时势 
反時勢 
fan3 shi2 shi4 
 
 
unconventional 
攻势 
攻勢 
gong1 shi4 
 
 
(military) offensive 
狗仗人势 
狗仗人勢 
gou3 zhang4 ren2 shi4 
 
 
a dog threatens based on master's power (idiom); to use one's position to bully others 
国势 
國勢 
guo2 shi4 
 
 
national strength; situation in a state 
国势日衰 
國勢日衰 
guo2 shi4 ri4 shuai1 
 
 
national decline 
核均势 
核均勢 
he2 jun1 shi4 
 
 
nuclear parity 
核势 
核勢 
he2 shi4 
 
 
nuclear potential 
花把势 
花把勢 
hua1 ba3 shi4 
 
 
expert flower grower 
欢势 
歡勢 
huan1 shi5 
 
 
lively; full of vigor; vibrant; spirited 
火势 
火勢 
huo3 shi4 
 
 
intensity of a fire; lively; flourishing 
架势 
架勢 
jia4 shi5 
 
 
attitude; position (on an issue etc) 
借势 
借勢 
jie4 shi4 
 
 
to borrow sb's authority; to seize an opportunity 
局势 
局勢 
ju2 shi4 
 
 
situation; state (of affairs) 
军势 
軍勢 
jun1 shi4 
 
 
army strength; military prowess or potential 
均势 
均勢 
jun1 shi4 
 
 
equilibrium of forces; balance of power 
拉开架势 
拉開架勢 
la1 kai1 jia4 shi5 
 
 
to assume a fighting stance; (fig.) to take the offensive 
来势 
來勢 
lai2 shi4 
 
 
momentum of sth approaching 
劣势 
劣勢 
lie4 shi4 
 
 
inferior; disadvantaged 
派势 
派勢 
pai4 shi4 
 
 
style; manner 
破竹之势 
破竹之勢 
po4 zhu2 zhi1 shi4 
 
 
lit. a force to smash bamboo (idiom); fig. irresistible force 
气势 
氣勢 
qi4 shi4 
 
 
imposing manner; loftiness; grandeur; energetic looks; vigor 
气势宏伟 
氣勢宏偉 
qi4 shi4 hong2 wei3 
 
 
imposing; majestic 
气势凌人 
氣勢凌人 
qi4 shi4 ling2 ren2 
 
 
arrogant and overbearing 
气势汹汹 
氣勢洶洶 
qi4 shi4 xiong1 xiong1 
 
 
aggressive; truculent; overbearing 
强势 
強勢 
qiang2 shi4 
 
 
strong; powerful; (linguistics) emphatic; intensive 
情势 
情勢 
qing2 shi4 
 
 
situation; circumstance 
趋势 
趨勢 
qu1 shi4 
 
 
trend; tendency 
趋炎附势 
趨炎附勢 
qu1 yan2 fu4 shi4 
 
 
to curry favor (idiom); playing up to those in power; social climbing 
去势 
去勢 
qu4 shi4 
 
 
to neuter; neutered 
权势 
權勢 
quan2 shi4 
 
 
power; influence 
人多势众 
人多勢眾 
ren2 duo1 shi4 zhong4 
 
 
many men, a great force (idiom); many hands provide great strength; There is safety in numbers. 
人势 
人勢 
ren2 shi4 
 
 
(human) penis (TCM) 
弱势 
弱勢 
ruo4 shi4 
 
 
vulnerable; weak 
弱势群体 
弱勢群體 
ruo4 shi4 qun2 ti3 
 
 
disadvantaged social groups (e.g. the handicapped); the economically and politically marginalized; the dispossessed 
山势 
山勢 
shan1 shi4 
 
 
topography of a mountain; features of a mountain 
伤势 
傷勢 
shang1 shi4 
 
 
condition of an injury 
上升趋势 
上升趨勢 
shang4 sheng1 qu1 shi4 
 
 
an upturn; an upward trend 
上扬趋势 
上揚趨勢 
shang4 yang2 qu1 shi4 
 
 
upward trend; rising tendency 
审度时势 
審度時勢 
shen3 duo2 shi2 shi4 
 
 
to examine and judge the situation 
审时度势 
審時度勢 
shen3 shi2 duo2 shi4 
 
 
to judge the hour and size up the situation; to take stock 
声势 
聲勢 
sheng1 shi4 
 
 
fame and power; prestige; influence; impetus; momentum 
时势 
時勢 
shi2 shi4 
 
 
current situation; circumstances; current trend 
时势造英雄 
時勢造英雄 
shi2 shi4 zao4 ying1 xiong2 
 
 
Time makes the man (idiom). The trend of events brings forth the hero. 
势必 
勢必 
shi4 bi4 
 
 
to be bound to; undoubtedly will 
势不可当 
勢不可當 
shi4 bu4 ke3 dang1 
 
 
impossible to resist (idiom); an irresistible force 
势不可挡 
勢不可擋 
shi4 bu4 ke3 dang3 
 
 
see 勢不可當|势不可当 
势不两立 
勢不兩立 
shi4 bu4 liang3 li4 
 
 
the two cannot exist together (idiom); irreconcilable differences; incompatible standpoints 
势成骑虎 
勢成騎虎 
shi4 cheng2 qi2 hu3 
 
 
if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway 
势降 
勢降 
shi4 jiang4 
 
 
potential drop (elec.) 
势阱 
勢阱 
shi4 jing3 
 
 
potential well (physics) 
势均力敌 
勢均力敵 
shi4 jun1 li4 di2 
 
 
evenly matched (idiom) 
势利 
勢利 
shi4 li4 
 
 
snobbish 
势利眼 
勢利眼 
shi4 li4 yan3 
 
 
to be self-interested 
势力 
勢力 
shi4 li5 
 
 
power; (ability to) influence 
势利小人 
勢利小人 
shi4 li5 xiao3 ren2 
 
 
snob 
势能 
勢能 
shi4 neng2 
 
 
potential energy 
势如破竹 
勢如破竹 
shi4 ru2 po4 zhu2 
 
 
like a hot knife through butter (idiom); with irresistible force 
事势 
事勢 
shi4 shi4 
 
 
state of affairs 
势态 
勢態 
shi4 tai4 
 
 
situation; state 
势头 
勢頭 
shi4 tou2 
 
 
power; momentum; tendency; impetus; situation; the look of things 
势要 
勢要 
shi4 yao4 
 
 
influential figure; powerful person 
势在必得 
勢在必得 
shi4 zai4 bi4 de2 
 
 
to be determined to win (idiom) 
势在必行 
勢在必行 
shi4 zai4 bi4 xing2 
 
 
circumstances require action (idiom); absolutely necessary; imperative 
势子 
勢子 
shi4 zi5 
 
 
gesture; posture 
势族 
勢族 
shi4 zu2 
 
 
influential family; powerful clan 
手势 
手勢 
shou3 shi4 
 
 
gesture; sign; signal 
守势 
守勢 
shou3 shi4 
 
 
defensive position; guard 
顺势 
順勢 
shun4 shi4 
 
 
to take advantage; to seize an opportunity; in passing; without taking extra trouble; conveniently 
顺势疗法 
順勢療法 
shun4 shi4 liao2 fa3 
 
 
homeopathy (alternative medicine) 
态势 
態勢 
tai4 shi4 
 
 
posture; situation 
体势 
體勢 
ti3 shi4 
 
 
feature 
颓势 
頹勢 
tui2 shi4 
 
 
decline (in fortune) 
威势 
威勢 
wei1 shi4 
 
 
might; power and influence 
销势 
銷勢 
xiao1 shi4 
 
 
sale 
星座运势 
星座運勢 
xing1 zuo4 yun4 shi4 
 
 
(Western-style) horoscope 
形势 
形勢 
xing2 shi4 
 
 
circumstances; situation; terrain 
形势严峻 
形勢嚴峻 
xing2 shi4 yan2 jun4 
 
 
in grave difficulties; the situation is grim 
虚张声势 
虛張聲勢 
xu1 zhang1 sheng1 shi4 
 
 
(false) bravado; to bluff 
蓄势待发 
蓄勢待發 
xu4 shi4 dai4 fa1 
 
 
to wait for action after having accumulated power, energy etc 
宣传攻势 
宣傳攻勢 
xuan1 chuan2 gong1 shi4 
 
 
marketing campaign 
伊势丹 
伊勢丹 
yi1 shi4 dan1 
 
 
Isetan, Japanese department store 
因势利导 
因勢利導 
yin1 shi4 li4 dao3 
 
 
to take advantage of the new situation (idiom); to make the best of new opportunities 
优势 
優勢 
you1 shi4 
 
 
superiority; dominance; advantage 
有钱有势 
有錢有勢 
you3 qian2 you3 shi4 
 
 
rich and powerful (idiom) 
有权势者 
有權勢者 
you3 quan2 shi4 zhe3 
 
 
person in power; the one with authority; the guy in charge 
运势 
運勢 
yun4 shi4 
 
 
horoscope; one's fortune 
造势 
造勢 
zao4 shi4 
 
 
to boost support or interest; to campaign; to promote 
占优势 
佔優勢 
zhan4 you1 shi4 
 
 
to predominate; to occupy a dominant position 
涨势 
漲勢 
zhang3 shi4 
 
 
rising trend; upward momentum (e.g. in prices) 
长势 
長勢 
zhang3 shi4 
 
 
how well a crop (or plant) is growing; growth 
涨姿势 
漲姿勢 
zhang3 zi1 shi4 
 
 
Internet slang for 長知識|长知识 
仗势 
仗勢 
zhang4 shi4 
 
 
to rely on power 
仗势欺人 
仗勢欺人 
zhang4 shi4 qi1 ren2 
 
 
to take advantage of one's position to bully people (idiom); to kick people around 
阵势 
陣勢 
zhen4 shi4 
 
 
battle array; disposition of forces; situation; circumstance 
装腔作势 
裝腔作勢 
zhuang1 qiang1 zuo4 shi4 
 
 
posturing; pretentious; affected 
姿势 
姿勢 
zi1 shi4 
 
 
posture; position 
走势 
走勢 
zou3 shi4 
 
 
tendency; trend; path 
作势 
作勢 
zuo4 shi4 
 
 
to adopt an attitude; to strike a posture 
做张做势 
做張做勢 
zuo4 zhang1 zuo4 shi4 
 
 
to put on an act (idiom); to pose; to show theatrical affectation; to indulge in histrionics