殉 meaning and stroke order
Martyr; to die for a cause
How to write 殉, stroke by stroke
10 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
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- 10
Meaning of 殉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be buried with the dead
- to die for a cause
How 殉 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Death.
歹 gives the meaning and 旬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 歹 (corpse), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 殉
殉 combines 歹 (dǎi), the death component, with 旬 (xún), which gives the sound. Picture someone giving their life, 歹, for a cause, and hear 旬 in the pronunciation xùn.
殉 appears mostly in formal or written words about dying for duty, a belief, or a person. The most common word is 殉职 (xùnzhí). Example: 他在救火时殉职了。(Tā zài jiùhuǒ shí xùnzhí le.) He died in the line of duty while fighting a fire.
Common mistake: Learners often read 殉 with the second tone because of its sound part 旬 (xún), but 殉 is fourth tone, xùn. Also, do not confuse it with 询 (xún, to ask), which has 讠 on the left instead of 歹.
Common words with 殉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 殉职 | xùnzhí | to die in the line of duty |
Questions about 殉
How many strokes are in 殉?
殉 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 殉 mean?
殉 (xùn) means martyr; to die for a cause. A common word with it is 殉职 (xùnzhí), meaning "to die in the line of duty".
How do you pronounce 殉?
殉 is pronounced xùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 殉?
The radical of 殉 is 歹, which carries the idea of "corpse". Dictionaries list 殉 under this radical.
How do you say martyr in Chinese using 殉?
A martyr who dies for a religious belief is often called 殉道者 (xùndàozhě). Someone who dies for their country is described with 殉国 (xùnguó), to die for one's country.
What does 殉 mean in the sense of being buried with the dead?
In ancient China, people or objects were sometimes buried with a deceased ruler, and 殉 describes this. The related word 殉葬 (xùnzàng) means to be buried alive with the dead, and you will see it mainly in history texts.