摄 meaning and stroke order
To absorb, to take in; to photograph; to act on behalf of
How to write 摄, 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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Meaning of 摄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to take in; to absorb; to assimilate
- to capture (video or still images)
- (literary) to conserve (one's health)
- (literary) to act for
How 摄 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 聂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 摄
摄 is a hand 扌 next to 聂 (niè), which gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to grab and take something in, the way a camera captures an image.
摄 rarely stands alone. It appears in words about taking in or capturing, especially photography and video, such as 拍摄 (pāishè), 摄影 (shèyǐng) and 摄像头 (shèxiàngtóu). Example: 这部电影是在北京拍摄的。(Zhè bù diànyǐng shì zài Běijīng pāishè de.) This film was shot in Beijing.
Common mistake: Learners often read 摄 as niè because of its phonetic part 聂, but the correct reading is shè with a falling fourth tone. Also do not confuse 摄 with 慑 (shè, to fear), which has the heart radical 忄 instead of the hand 扌.
Common words with 摄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 拍摄 | pāishè | to take (a picture); to shoot (a film) | HSK 5 |
| 摄像机 | shèxiàngjī | video camera | HSK 5 |
| 摄影师 | shèyǐngshī | photographer; cinematographer; cameraman | HSK 5 |
| 摄影 | shèyǐng | to take a photograph; photography | HSK 5 |
| 摄像 | shèxiàng | to videotape | HSK 5 |
| 摄氏度 | shèshìdù | °C (degrees Celsius) | HSK 7-9 |
| 摄像头 | shèxiàngtóu | webcam; surveillance camera | |
| 摄影机 | shèyǐngjī | (old) camera; movie camera; cine camera | |
| 摄影棚 | shèyǐngpéng | film studio; television studio | |
| 摄入 | shèrù | to take in; to absorb | |
| 摄政 | shèzhèng | to act as regent | |
| 摄制 | shèzhì | to produce (a TV show etc) | |
| 摄取 | shèqǔ | to absorb (nutrients etc); to assimilate |
摄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 摄
How many strokes are in 摄?
摄 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 摄 mean?
摄 (shè) means to absorb, to take in; to photograph; to act on behalf of. A common word with it is 拍摄 (pāishè), meaning "to take (a picture); to shoot (a film)".
How do you pronounce 摄?
摄 is pronounced shè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 摄?
The radical of 摄 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 摄 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 摄?
The traditional form of 摄 is 攝. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 摄 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 摄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 摄 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 摄影 and 摄像?
摄影 (shèyǐng) usually means taking still photographs, or photography in general. 摄像 (shèxiàng) means recording video. So a 摄影师 takes pictures, while a 摄像机 records video.
Why is 摄 used in 摄氏度 for Celsius?
In 摄氏度 (shèshìdù), 摄 is used for its sound to represent the name Celsius, and 氏 means surname or family name. So the word literally means degrees of Mr. Celsius. In daily speech people often just say 度, as in 三十度 (sānshí dù), 30 degrees.