The kanji 氏 primarily signifies "mister," "Ms.," "Mr.," or "person." It is used as a formal suffix added after a person's name to indicate respect and formality, similar to "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs." in English. The core meaning revolves around identifying and referring to an individual in a respectful manner.

・On-yomi (音読み): シ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): うじ

⚫︎田中氏 Translation: Mr. Tanaka / Ms. Tanaka ⚫︎山田氏はご存知ですか。 Translation: Do you know Mr./Ms. Yamada? ⚫︎同氏 Translation: The same person (used to refer to the person previously mentioned, or the aforementioned person)

The kanji 氏 is a pictograph. It originally depicted a person holding something in their hand, possibly a flag or a banner, representing authority or lineage. Over time, it came to represent individuals of note, particularly those of high social standing or lineage, which then evolved to the meaning of "person" or "Mr./Ms." The character's form has simplified over time.