术 meaning and stroke order
Skill, art; method, technique; trick
How to write 术, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 术
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) art; skill; discipline
- (bound form) method; technique; strategy
- (bound form) Atractylodes (genus of perennial herbs in the daisy family, used in TCM)
- variant of 朮|术[zhu2]
How 术 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 术
术 is a tree 木 (mù) with one extra dot 丶 tucked beside it. Picture a craftsman adding one small, skillful mark to a plain piece of wood, and you have skill or technique.
术 (shù) almost never stands alone. It appears in two-character words for skills and methods, such as 技术 (jìshù), 艺术 (yìshù), and 手术 (shǒushù). Example: 他很喜欢中国武术。(Tā hěn xǐhuan Zhōngguó wǔshù.) He really likes Chinese martial arts.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 术 with 木 (mù, tree) or 本 (běn, root), which look similar. 本 has a horizontal line across the bottom, while 术 has only a dot at the upper right.
Common words with 术
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 技术 | jìshù | technology; technique; skill | HSK 3 |
| 艺术 | yìshù | art | HSK 3 |
| 武术 | wǔshù | military skill or technique (in former times); all kinds of martial art sports (some claim | HSK 3 |
| 美术 | měishù | art; fine arts | HSK 3 |
| 手术 | shǒushù | (surgical) operation; surgery | HSK 4 |
| 学术 | xuéshù | learning; science | HSK 4 |
| 战术 | zhànshù | tactics | HSK 6 |
| 魔术 | móshù | magic | HSK 7-9 |
| 手术室 | shǒushùshì | operating room | HSK 7-9 |
| 印刷术 | yìnshuāshù | printing; printing technology | HSK 7-9 |
| 造纸术 | zàozhǐshù | papermaking process | HSK 7-9 |
| 高新技术 | gāoxīn-jìshù | high tech; high technology | HSK 7-9 |
| 艺术家 | yìshùjiā | artist | |
| 艺术品 | yìshùpǐn | art piece; work of art |
术 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 术
Learning 术 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 术
How many strokes are in 术?
术 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 术 mean?
术 (shù) means skill, art; method, technique; trick. A common word with it is 技术 (jìshù), meaning "technology; technique; skill".
How do you pronounce 术?
术 is pronounced shù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 术?
The radical of 术 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 术 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 术?
The traditional form of 术 is 朮 and 術. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 术 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 术 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 术 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.
Does 术 have another pronunciation?
Yes. It can be read zhú when it names Atractylodes, a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. In everyday words like 技术 and 艺术, it is always shù.
What is the difference between 艺术 and 美术?
艺术 (yìshù) means art in the broad sense, including music, film, and dance. 美术 (měishù) usually means visual or fine arts, like painting and drawing, and is also the name of the art class in school.