属 meaning and stroke order
Category; genus (taxonomy); family members
How to write 属, stroke by stroke
12 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 属
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- category
- genus (taxonomy)
- family members
- dependents
- to belong to
- subordinate to
- to join together
- to fix one's attention on
- to concentrate on
How 属 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Body.
尸 gives the meaning and 禹 hints at the sound.
Radical: 尸 (body), shared by 40 characters on this site.
How to remember 属
属 is built from 尸 (body) on top and 禹 (yǔ) tucked underneath as the sound part. Picture bodies gathered under one roof: people who belong to the same family or group.
属 (shǔ) most often appears in words about belonging or categories, like 属于 (shǔyú), 家属 (jiāshǔ) and 金属 (jīnshǔ). It is also used to state your Chinese zodiac sign: 我属龙 (wǒ shǔ lóng) I was born in the Year of the Dragon.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 属 with 局 (jú) or 居 (jū), which share the 尸 top but have much simpler parts below. Also note that 属于 is a verb, so say 这本书属于我 (zhè běn shū shǔyú wǒ), not 这本书是属于 without a following object.
Common words with 属
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 属于 | shǔyú | to belong to; to fall under (a category) | HSK 3 |
| 家属 | jiāshǔ | family member; (family) dependent | HSK 3 |
| 亲属 | qīnshǔ | kin; kindred | HSK 6 |
| 金属 | jīnshǔ | metal | HSK 7-9 |
| 下属 | xiàshǔ | subordinate; underling | HSK 7-9 |
| 所属 | suǒshǔ | one's affiliation (i.e. the organization one is affiliated with); subordinate (i.e. those | HSK 7-9 |
| 归属 | guīshǔ | to belong to; to be affiliated to | HSK 7-9 |
| 属性 | shǔxìng | attribute; property | HSK 7-9 |
| 附属 | fùshǔ | subsidiary; auxiliary | HSK 7-9 |
| 非金属 | fēijīnshǔ | nonmetal (chemistry) | HSK 7-9 |
| 纯属 | chúnshǔ | to be purely; pure and simple | |
| 属实 | shǔshí | to turn out to be true; verified | |
| 专属 | zhuānshǔ | to belong or be dedicated exclusively to; proprietary; private; personal | |
| 隶属 | lìshǔ | to be subordinate to; to be under the jurisdiction of |
属 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 属
Learning 属 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 属
How many strokes are in 属?
属 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 属 mean?
属 (shǔ) means category; genus (taxonomy); family members. A common word with it is 属于 (shǔyú), meaning "to belong to; to fall under (a category)".
How do you pronounce 属?
属 is pronounced shǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 属?
The radical of 属 is 尸, which carries the idea of "body". Dictionaries list 属 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 属?
The traditional form of 属 is 屬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 属 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 属 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 属 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
How do I ask someone's Chinese zodiac sign with 属?
Ask 你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shénme?), which means "What is your zodiac animal?" The answer follows the same pattern, for example 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu) I am a Monkey.
When is 属 pronounced zhǔ instead of shǔ?
The zhǔ reading means to join together or to concentrate on, and it appears mainly in formal or literary words such as 属意 (zhǔyì) to set one's mind on. In everyday speech you will almost always use shǔ.