塑 meaning and stroke order
To sculpt, to model in clay; plastic
How to write 塑, stroke by stroke
13 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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- 13
Meaning of 塑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to model (a figure) in clay
- (bound form) plastic (i.e. the synthetic material)
How 塑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning and 朔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 塑
塑 has 土 (tǔ, earth) at the bottom, showing that you shape figures out of clay or soil. The top part 朔 (shuò) gives the sound, so picture someone molding earth into a figure.
塑 rarely appears alone. It shows up in words like 塑料 (sùliào, plastic), 雕塑 (diāosù, sculpture) and 塑造 (sùzào, to mold or create), which is often used for shaping a character or an image. Example: 请不要用塑料袋。(Qǐng bú yào yòng sùliàodài.) Please don't use plastic bags.
Common mistake: Learners often read 塑 as shuò because of its top part 朔. The correct reading is sù, with a fourth tone. Also keep the bottom 土 distinct from 士, since the bottom stroke of 土 is the longer one.
Common words with 塑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 塑料 | sùliào | plastic; plastics (general term for synthetic polymer materials) | HSK 4 |
| 塑料袋 | sùliàodài | plastic bag | HSK 4 |
| 雕塑 | diāosù | a statue; a Buddhist image | HSK 7-9 |
| 塑造 | sùzào | to model; to mold; (fig.) to create (a character, a market, an image etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 塑胶 | sùjiāo | synthetic resin; plastic cement; (Tw) plastic | |
| 重塑 | chóngsù | to reconstruct (an art object); to remodel | |
| 塑像 | sùxiàng | to sculpt or mold a statue (by shaping a pliable material such as clay, plaster or wax, wh |
塑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 塑
How many strokes are in 塑?
塑 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 塑 mean?
塑 (sù) means to sculpt, to model in clay; plastic. A common word with it is 塑料 (sùliào), meaning "plastic; plastics (general term for synthetic polymer materials)".
How do you pronounce 塑?
塑 is pronounced sù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 塑?
The radical of 塑 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 塑 under this radical.
Is 塑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 塑 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 塑料 and 塑胶?
Both can mean plastic. 塑料 (sùliào) is the standard everyday word in mainland China. 塑胶 (sùjiāo) is more common in Taiwan, and on the mainland it can also refer to synthetic resin.
Can 塑造 be used for things other than sculptures?
Yes. 塑造 (sùzào) is often used figuratively, as in 塑造人物 (sùzào rénwù, to create a character) in a novel or film, or 塑造形象 (sùzào xíngxiàng, to build an image).