嘘 meaning and stroke order
To blow, to exhale, to hiss, to sigh; to praise
How to write 嘘, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 嘘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exhale slowly
- to hiss
- hush!
How 嘘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 虚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嘘
嘘 combines 口 (mouth) with 虚 (xū), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth letting out an empty, airy breath: a slow exhale or a soft "shh".
嘘 is most often heard as the sound "shh" to ask for quiet, and it appears in words like 吹嘘 (chuīxū, to brag). Example: 嘘，别说话。(Xū, bié shuōhuà.) Shh, don't talk.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 虚 (xū, empty, false) alone and forget the 口 on the left. Use 嘘 when the meaning involves breath, sound, or the mouth, and 虚 for emptiness or weakness.
Common words with 嘘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吹嘘 | chuīxū | to brag | |
| 嘘嘘 | xūxū | to pee pee (kiddie or feminine slang) |
嘘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 嘘
How many strokes are in 嘘?
嘘 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嘘 mean?
嘘 (xū) means to blow, to exhale, to hiss, to sigh; to praise. A common word with it is 吹嘘 (chuīxū), meaning "to brag".
How do you pronounce 嘘?
嘘 is pronounced xū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 嘘?
The radical of 嘘 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嘘 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 嘘?
The traditional form of 嘘 is 噓. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 嘘 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Does 嘘 mean to boo someone?
Yes, 嘘 can describe hissing or booing at a performer, as in 观众嘘他 (guānzhòng xū tā), the audience booed him. Context tells you whether it means shushing or booing.
Is 嘘嘘 a polite word to use?
嘘嘘 (xūxū) is a childish or cute way to say "pee", often used with small children. Adults usually avoid it in formal settings and say 上厕所 (shàng cèsuǒ) instead.