叔 meaning and stroke order
Uncle; father's younger brother
How to write 叔, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 叔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- uncle
- father's younger brother
- husband's younger brother
- Taiwan pr. [shu2]
How 叔 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The smaller 小 brother.
Radical: 又 (and), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 叔
The left side stacks 上 (shàng, up) over 小 (xiǎo, small), and the right side is 又 (yòu), a hand. The hint says it is the smaller 小 brother, so picture your dad's little brother, the small one, reaching out a hand to you.
In daily speech people almost always say 叔叔 (shūshu), which children also use to address any adult man politely. 大叔 (dàshū) is a casual way to call a middle-aged man. Example: 叔叔，你好。(Shūshu, nǐ hǎo.) Hello, uncle.
Common mistake: Learners often use 叔叔 for every uncle, but it only means your father's younger brother. Your father's older brother is 伯伯 (bóbo) and your mother's brother is 舅舅 (jiùjiu). Also note the second 叔 in 叔叔 is said in the neutral tone: shūshu, not shū shū.
Common words with 叔
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 叔叔 | shūshu | father's younger brother; paternal uncle; form of address used by children for a male one | HSK 4 |
| 大叔 | dàshū | eldest of father's younger brothers; uncle (term used to address a man about the age of on | |
| 叔父 | shūfù | father's younger brother; uncle | |
| 叔公 | shūgōng | great uncle; grandfather's younger brother |
叔 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 叔
Learning 叔 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 叔
How many strokes are in 叔?
叔 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 叔 mean?
叔 (shū) means uncle; father's younger brother. A common word with it is 叔叔 (shūshu), meaning "father's younger brother; paternal uncle; form of address used by children for a male one ".
How do you pronounce 叔?
叔 is pronounced shū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 叔?
The radical of 叔 is 又, which carries the idea of "and". Dictionaries list 叔 under this radical.
Is 叔 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 叔 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Can I call a stranger 叔叔?
Yes. Children and young people call adult men about their parents' age 叔叔 as a polite, friendly address. It does not imply any family relation.
Is 叔 pronounced shū or shú?
The standard pronunciation in mainland China is shū with the first tone. In Taiwan you may also hear shú with the second tone.