<p>I think Tang Ho's comment explains the difference between <code>施</code> and <code>司</code> very well. Usually <code>司～</code> describes a <strong>person</strong> by their job title (equivalent to saying <code>掌管～的人</code>), whereas <code>施～</code> describes an <strong>action</strong>.</p>
<p>I'd like to provide some examples where both <code>施X</code> and <code>司X</code> exist:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><code>司法</code> means the judiciary, literally 'one who is in charge of the law'. <code>施法</code> however, can either mean 'to enact the law' (in classical Chinese), or 'to perform witchcraft'.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>司法</strong>機構 the judicial body</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>鞅之初為秦<strong>施法</strong>，法不行。《史記·秦本紀》<br>
When Wey Yang first <em>implemented the new laws</em> for Ch'in, the laws could not be put into effect. (<em>The Grand Scribe's Records, The Ch'in, Basic Annals</em>, tr. Cheng)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>施法</strong>招魂 to <em>perform witchcraft</em> and summon the spirits</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><p><code>司政</code> means 'one who is in charge of the government' (presumably in classical Chinese), but <code>施政</code> means 'to implement a policy':</p>
<blockquote>
<p>王曰：嗟！四方<strong>司政</strong>典獄，非爾惟作天牧？《周書·呂刑》<br>
The king said, 'Ah! <em>you who direct the government</em> and preside over criminal cases through all the land, are you not constituted the shepherds of Heaven?' (<em>Zhou Shu, Marquis of Lu on Punishments</em>, tr. Legge)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>施政</strong>報告 <em>policy</em> address (lit. report of the implementation of policies)</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>References</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><p>Ssu-Ma, Ch’ien. 1995. The Grand Scribe’s Records, Volume I: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China. Translated by Tsai-Fa Cheng. 2nd ed. Bloomington, MN: Indiana University Press.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Legge, James. 1865. The Chinese Classics, volume III: the Shoo King or the Book of Historical Documents. London: Trubner.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-14T02:32:46.667Z
施工员is also a person with job title, he is the engineer in charge of the work, and according to your explaining, it should be 司工.
NanningYouth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-14T02:53:38.280Z
@NanningYouth true, although 司～ words descend from classical Chinese, and 工 in classical Chinese does not refer to 工程 (https://wyw.hwxnet.com/view/hwxE5hwxB7hwxA5.html) in any way, so 司工 meaning 'one who is in charge of construction' is non-existent. // Personally, I think 施工員 is a misnomer. The majority of 施～ words don't work this way.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T04:24:52.877Z
2021-06-13T05:33:20.987Z
2021-06-13T05:33:20.987Z
L Parker
<blockquote>
<p>What is the difference?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Where the word comes from.</p>
<p>Sitting auspiciously, dressed in funny clothes and a weird hat is the 皇帝， officially the boss.</p>
<p>皇帝， temperamental, spoilt, lascivious, hedonistic.</p>
<p>In China, you may have noticed, women, especially at home, loom large.</p>
<p>后，a person facing right, the queen on the left behind 皇帝，running the show.</p>
<p>To the right of 皇帝， a counterpart and reverse of  后， 司  a prince or minister, 皇帝's right-hand man, facing left towards the bossman, 皇帝。</p>
<p>As 皇帝  was fairly pre-occupied, what with 3000+ wives and new clothes to try on every 5 minutes, 司， always helpful, did what he could to a) sabotage the plans of 后 b) make the country run.</p>
<p>皇帝， 后， 司：the 3 pillars of state, hopefully making it stable!</p>
<p>施 shī,yì,shǐ<br />
from flag 㫃 yǎn<br />
and phonetic snake 也 yě.</p>
<p>说文解字: 旗貌從㫃也聲齊欒施字子旗知施者旗也</p>
<p>施，</p>
<p>旗帜飘动的样子。<br />
ensign wafting appearance.<br />
字形采用“”yǎn 作边旁，<br />
Character form uses yǎn as one side<br />
“也”作声旁。<br />
也 yě as phonetic</p>
<p>齐国欒施字子旗，<br />
Qi Luan Shi character Viscount flag</p>
<p>由此可知施是旗。<br />
thus can know shi is a flag</p>
<p>Maybe, just a guess, 施 acquired the meaning of 'put into practice, carry out' because, before doing anything, the Chinese like to put up many many flags and banners!</p>
<p>Build a new building?<br />
建造一座新的建筑吗？<br />
Well, first we need at least 1000 flags, banners, ensigns and standards!<br />
嗯，首先我们需要至少1000面旗子、旗帜和军旗！</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T12:04:11.680Z
2021-06-13T12:04:11.680Z
Pedroski
<p>Words like 司机，司令，司仪，司炉，司法，司线（员） have the core 司, which, if deemed to be a verb, can form a verb-object group with the subsequent noun to mean one is acting on the object, so 司机 means the man is doing something (controlling) the machine (vehicle), 司令 that he is giving orders, 司仪 that he is holding services, 司炉 that he is taking care of the stove, 司法that he is enacting the laws, 司线 that he is watching the landing or falling point of the ball in a sports game.</p>
<p>But 施工 or 施工员 is another case，it should have been 司工 or 司工员 to comply with the above criteria of word-forming.</p>
<p>What is the difference?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T00:36:36.967Z
Check the dictionary, 施 as a verb mostly mean 'apply; carry out' ,  司  as a verb mostly mean 'in charge of; manage' .  Example: 各司其職= Everyone manages his own duty/post. 施工 = carry out the work. We say 施暴 ( apply/ carry out violence) not 司暴 (in charge of violence)
Tang Ho
<word-choice><difference>
Difference between 司 and 施
# Difference between 司 and 施

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-06-13)

Words like 司机，司令，司仪，司炉，司法，司线（员） have the core 司, which, if deemed to be a verb, can form a verb-object group with the subsequent noun to mean one is acting on the object, so 司机 means the man is doing something (controlling) the machine (vehicle), 司令 that he is giving orders, 司仪 that he is holding services, 司炉 that he is taking care of the stove, 司法that he is enacting the laws, 司线 that he is watching the landing or falling point of the ball in a sports game.

But 施工 or 施工员 is another case，it should have been 司工 or 司工员 to comply with the above criteria of word-forming.

What is the difference?

**Tags:** word-choice, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Check the dictionary, 施 as a verb mostly mean 'apply; carry out' ,  司  as a verb mostly mean 'in charge of; manage' .  Example: 各司其職= Everyone manages his own duty/post. 施工 = carry out the work. We say 施暴 ( apply/ carry out violence) not 司暴 (in charge of violence)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-06-13. Score: 3

I think username_1's comment explains the difference between `施` and `司` very well. Usually `司～` describes a **person** by their job title (equivalent to saying `掌管～的人`), whereas `施～` describes an **action**.

I'd like to provide some examples where both `施X` and `司X` exist:

1. `司法` means the judiciary, literally 'one who is in charge of the law'. `施法` however, can either mean 'to enact the law' (in classical Chinese), or 'to perform witchcraft'.

   > **司法**機構 the judicial body

   > 鞅之初為秦**施法**，法不行。《史記·秦本紀》  
   > When Wey Yang first *implemented the new laws* for Ch'in, the laws could not be put into effect. (*The Grand Scribe's Records, The Ch'in, Basic Annals*, tr. Cheng)

   > **施法**招魂 to *perform witchcraft* and summon the spirits
2. `司政` means 'one who is in charge of the government' (presumably in classical Chinese), but `施政` means 'to implement a policy':

   > 王曰：嗟！四方**司政**典獄，非爾惟作天牧？《周書·呂刑》  
   > The king said, 'Ah! *you who direct the government* and preside over criminal cases through all the land, are you not constituted the shepherds of Heaven?' (*Zhou Shu, Marquis of Lu on Punishments*, tr. Legge)

   > **施政**報告 *policy* address (lit. report of the implementation of policies)

**References**

1. Ssu-Ma, Ch’ien. 1995. The Grand Scribe’s Records, Volume I: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China. Translated by Tsai-Fa Cheng. 2nd ed. Bloomington, MN: Indiana University Press.
2. Legge, James. 1865. The Chinese Classics, volume III: the Shoo King or the Book of Historical Documents. London: Trubner.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 施工员is also a person with job title, he is the engineer in charge of the work, and according to your explaining, it should be 司工.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 true, although 司～ words descend from classical Chinese, and 工 in classical Chinese does not refer to 工程 (https://wyw.hwxnet.com/view/hwxE5hwxB7hwxA5.html) in any way, so 司工 meaning 'one who is in charge of construction' is non-existent. // Personally, I think 施工員 is a misnomer. The majority of 施～ words don't work this way.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-06-13. Score: 0

> What is the difference?

Where the word comes from.

Sitting auspiciously, dressed in funny clothes and a weird hat is the 皇帝， officially the boss.

皇帝， temperamental, spoilt, lascivious, hedonistic.

In China, you may have noticed, women, especially at home, loom large.

后，a person facing right, the queen on the left behind 皇帝，running the show.

To the right of 皇帝， a counterpart and reverse of 后， 司 a prince or minister, 皇帝's right-hand man, facing left towards the bossman, 皇帝。

As 皇帝 was fairly pre-occupied, what with 3000+ wives and new clothes to try on every 5 minutes, 司， always helpful, did what he could to a) sabotage the plans of 后 b) make the country run.

皇帝， 后， 司：the 3 pillars of state, hopefully making it stable!

施 shī,yì,shǐ  
from flag 㫃 yǎn  
and phonetic snake 也 yě.

说文解字: 旗貌從㫃也聲齊欒施字子旗知施者旗也

施，

旗帜飘动的样子。  
ensign wafting appearance.  
字形采用“”yǎn 作边旁，  
Character form uses yǎn as one side  
“也”作声旁。  
也 yě as phonetic

齐国欒施字子旗，  
Qi Luan Shi character Viscount flag

由此可知施是旗。  
thus can know shi is a flag

Maybe, just a guess, 施 acquired the meaning of 'put into practice, carry out' because, before doing anything, the Chinese like to put up many many flags and banners!

Build a new building?  
建造一座新的建筑吗？  
Well, first we need at least 1000 flags, banners, ensigns and standards!  
嗯，首先我们需要至少1000面旗子、旗帜和军旗！


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