Shi (rank) explained

Chinese: Shi (;) is the rank usually held by Non-commissioned officers in some East Asian militaries. The ranks are used in both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, and both North and South Korea. The rank name is based on the on one of the four ancient occupations.

China

The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by Chinese: haijun or Chinese: kongjun .

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Chinese	Chinese: 一级军士长	Chinese: 二级军士长	Chinese: 三级军士长	Chinese: 四级军士长	Chinese: 上士	Chinese: 中士	Chinese: 下士
Pinyin	Chinese: Yījí jūnshìzhǎng	Chinese: Èrjí jūnshìzhǎng	Chinese: Sānjí jūnshìzhǎng	Chinese: Sìjí jūnshìzhǎng	Chinese: Shàngshì	Chinese: Zhōngshì	Chinese: Xiàshì
Literal translation	First-class soldier leader	Second-class soldier leader	Third-class soldier leader	Fourth-class soldier leader	Upper soldier	Middle soldier	Lower soldier
^[1]
^[1]




Rank group	Non-commissioned officers

Taiwan

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
	Chinese: 一等士官長	Chinese: 二等士官長	Chinese: 三等士官長	Chinese: 上士	Chinese: 中士	Chinese: 下士
Pinyin	Chinese: Yīděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: Èrděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: Sānděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: Shàngshì	Chinese: Zhōngshì	Chinese: Xiàshì
Literal translation	First-class officer leader	Second-class officer leader	Third-class officer leader	Upper officer	Middle officer	Lower officer
^[2]
^[2]






	Chinese: 一等士官長 Chinese: Yīděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: 二等士官長 Chinese: Èrděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: 三等士官長 Chinese: Sānděng shìguānzhǎng	Chinese: 上士 Chinese: Shàngshì	Chinese: 中士 Chinese: Zhōngshì	Chinese: 下士 Chinese: Xiàshì
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers

Japan

Rank group	Enlisted
Japanese	Japanese: 士長	Japanese: 1等士	Japanese: 2等士
Romanization	Japanese: Shichō	Japanese: Ittō shi	Japanese: Nitō shi
Literal translation	Officer leader	First-class officer	Second-class officer
^[3]
^[4]
^[5]
Rank group	Enlisted

North Korea

Sa
Hangul:	사
Rr:	Sa
Mr:	Sa

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers				Enlisted
Hangul	Korean: 특무상사	Korean: 상사	Korean: 중사	Korean: 하사	Korean: 상급병사	Korean: 중급병사	Korean: 하급병사	Korean: 전사
Hanja	Korean: 特務上士	Korean: 上士	Korean: 中士	Korean: 下士	Korean: 上級兵士	Korean: 中級兵士	Korean: 下級兵士	Korean: 戰士
Romanization	Korean: T'ŭkmu-sangsa	Korean: Sangsa	Korean: Chungsa	Korean: Hasa	Korean: Sanggŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: Chungŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: Hagŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: Chŏnsa
Literal translation	Special duty upper officer	Upper officer	Middle officer	Lower officer	Upper-class soldier	Middle-class soldier	Lower-class soldier	Combat officer
^[6]
U.S. equivalent	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private first class	Private

U.S. equivalent	Master chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer	Chief petty officer	Petty officer first class	Petty officer second class	Petty officer third class	Seaman	Seaman apprentice

U.S. equivalent	Chief master sergeant	Senior master sergeant	Master sergeant	Technical sergeant	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Airman first class	Airman
	Korean: 특무상사 Korean: T'ŭkmu-sangsa	Korean: 상사 Korean: Sangsa	Korean: 중사 Korean: Chungsa	Korean: 하사 Korean: Hasa	Korean: 상급병사 Korean: Sanggŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: 중급병사 Korean: Chungŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: 하급병사 Korean: Hagŭp-pyŏngsa	Korean: 전사 Korean: Chŏnsa
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers				Enlisted

South Korea

See main article: Military ranks of South Korea.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer
Hangul	Korean: 원사	Korean: 상사	Korean: 중사	Korean: 하사
Hanja	Korean: 元士	Korean: 上士	Korean: 中士	Korean: 下士
Romanization	Korean: Wonsa	Korean: Sangsa	Korean: Jungsa	Korean: Hasa
Literal translation	Chief soldier	Upper soldier	Middle soldier	Lower soldier
Armed Forces^[7]
U.S. equivalent ^[8]	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Staff sergeant

U.S. equivalent	Master chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer	Chief petty officer	Petty officer first class

U.S. equivalent	Chief master sergeant	Senior master sergeant	Master sergeant	Technical sergeant

U.S. equivalent	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Gunnery sergeant	Staff sergeant
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers

Vietnamese variant

Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Vietnamese	Vietnamese: Thượng sĩ	Vietnamese: Trung sĩ	Vietnamese: Hạ sĩ
Chữ Hán
Literal translation	Upper officer	Middle officer	Lower officer
^[9]


Rank group	Non-commissioned officers

South Vietnamese variant

See main article: South Vietnamese military ranks and insignia.

Rank group	Senior NCOs				Junior NCOs
Native name	Vietnamese: Thượng sĩ nhất	Vietnamese: Thượng sĩ	Vietnamese: Trung sĩ nhất	Vietnamese: Trung sĩ	Vietnamese: Hạ sĩ nhất	Vietnamese: Hạ sĩ
Chữ Hán
Literal translation	First upper officer	Upper officer	First middle officer	Middle officer	First lower officer	Lower officer
^[10]
Translation	Master sergeant, first class	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Sergeant	Corporal major	Corporal

Translation	Officer	Chief petty officer	Petty officer first class	Petty officer second class	Leading seaman	Able seaman

Translation	Master sergeant, first class	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Sergeant	Corporal major	Corporal

Translation	Master sergeant, first class	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Sergeant	Corporal major	Corporal
Rank group	Senior NCOs				Junior NCOs

Notes and References

Web site: Ping . Xu . 我军建军九十年军衔制度沿革 . The evolution of our military rank system over the ninety years of its establishment . mod.gov.cn . Ministry of National Defense . 13 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228135627/http://www.mod.gov.cn/education/2017-08/07/content_4788037_8.htm . 28 December 2019 . zh . 7 August 2017.
Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú . zh:陸海空軍服制條例附圖 . Drawings of the Uniform Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force . Gazette of the Presidential Palace . 7 November 1996 . 6769 . 65-67 . 15 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170306002354/https://www.president.gov.tw/Portals/0/Bulletins/paper/PDF/6769-2.PDF . 6 March 2017.
Web site: 自衛官の階級 . Self-Defense Forces rank . mod.go.jp . Japanese Ministry of Defense . 7 June 2021 . ja.
Web site: 自衛官の階級 . Self-Defense Forces rank . mod.go.jp . Japanese Ministry of Defense . 7 June 2021 . ja.
Web site: 自衛官の階級 . Self-Defense Forces rank . mod.go.jp . Japanese Ministry of Defense . 7 June 2021 . ja.
Book: Minnich . James M. . Worden . Robert L. . North Korea: a country study . Area Handbook . 2008 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 2008028547 . 266, 268 . 5th . 20 October 2021 . National Security.
Web site: gyegeubjang-ui jesig(je7joje2hang gwanlyeon) . ko:계급장의 제식(제7조제2항 관련) . Rank insignia (related to Article 7 (2)) . law.go.kr . 30 December 2021 . ko.
Book: Katz . Rodney P. . Savada . Andrea Matles . Shaw . William . South Korea: a country study . Area Handbook . 1992 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 91039109 . 292 . 4th . 2 January 2022 . National Security.
Web site: Quy định quân hiệu, cấp hiệu, phù hiệu và lễ phục của Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam . mod.gov.vn . Ministry of Defence (Vietnam) . 30 May 2021 . 26 August 2009. vi. https://web.archive.org/web/20211202031836/http://www.mod.gov.vn/wps/portal/!ut/p/b1/vZTbcqJAEIafJQ9gMcOZSxiOg6AcBW4sEVSECEEU5OmXbLJbm9RuvMk6fdVVf9fX_c_0EAkREclpcy32m66oT5vqNU_YtSraLi9BEQDgMcCgRDOYC1MicpMgngRIE3WamwPAz7VJIOqBKzgUBUTqY_2C0_mpHiGGCikIJECsiOgY0wM6W70i-ruynFfb1fYQX7ZNdtn5qHA8c6zP5WWtN7JZeulq7Id0jm6zQejicQQsiZnxbA4Q57NTs-r7sKUaVLQlv5USsiPHDjJShYe9dkQvriL39cy8OujA12x08P2QCfHIXDr1KPJw3aZRs1ueQ_tk1k_vs4F_HBHcm-2t_gvBHW9XRPJRoomhCgzsARFxDIlo7l3wlf0_BV_MEE8C7o8mfZ6bujBCgZZpCESW8IkI0GvveGuMsRzdI-iBPzrQBh0GXGhZnB7YQYXtbAE9ObRgG_RWig3Lx5Y3BqQn6MssdANJlOTL3r_eA3KPBjL_G6gt9Ndb8zHjLRwS0NSDJ3TobwdiItlXdTp9EGESU5JcG72ieOtDsFh6TK4Vy7piTSpNvZtbVTG5P_HXbTEfbE3I8eGUsfDs3MJcRU1WvTi52SWXoj-uFptwE0eD1SaoWy27ss1UyzsBf5fBgyr07TEdcUpK82dnN-SoyGZNv0CIXxou1HKc-HzKIoVLcXNBNuhNeNhYAPdT3oc2ZexMrbAYdqf6oTq-bBF5fiJsvX7OP9v3aRGdvz2QwVb6wR-xAUswWEHr2r5yswTJ9mXlBgJoW21meWUNvbIxz538yz4v4oToDpClHwx0uP8N_LwC4NGWst8ObJ6DqzlnXX2MfkeuXZ_fYv_0AytYOeM!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/. 2 December 2021. dead.
Book: Armed Forces Information and Education . Uniforms of Seven Allies (DOD GEN-30) . 1968 . Department of Defense . 26-28 . 2 July 2022.