淑 meaning and stroke order
Good, pure, virtuous; charming
How to write 淑, stroke by stroke
11 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 淑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) (of women) gentle; kind; lovely; admirable
- (used in given names)
- Taiwan pr. [shu2]
How 淑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 叔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淑
淑 combines water 氵 with 叔 (shū), which gives the sound. Picture a lady whose character is as clear and pure as still water, and remember the sound from 叔.
淑 is a bound form, so it appears inside words rather than alone, and it mostly describes admirable qualities in women. It is also common in given names, such as 淑芬 or 淑华. Example: 她是一位淑女。(Tā shì yí wèi shūnǚ.) She is a refined lady.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 淑 with 叔 (shū, uncle) because they sound the same. Remember that 淑 has the water radical 氵 on the left and describes virtue, while 叔 alone is a family word.
Common words with 淑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 淑女 | shūnǚ | wise and virtuous woman; lady |
淑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 淑
How many strokes are in 淑?
淑 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 淑 mean?
淑 (shū) means good, pure, virtuous; charming. A common word with it is 淑女 (shūnǚ), meaning "wise and virtuous woman; lady".
How do you pronounce 淑?
淑 is pronounced shū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 淑?
The radical of 淑 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淑 under this radical.
Is 淑 pronounced shū or shú?
In mainland Mandarin it is first tone, shū. In Taiwan many speakers say it with the second tone, shú.
Can 淑 be used to describe men?
Traditionally it describes women, as in 淑女 (shūnǚ). Using it for a man would sound odd in everyday speech, though it can appear in some given names.