澀 meaning and stroke order
Astringent, harsh, rough, uneven
How to write 澀, stroke by stroke
17 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 澀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- astringent
- tart
- acerbity
- unsmooth
- rough (surface)
- hard to understand
How 澀 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Water 氵 that cuts like a knife 歰; 歰 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 澀
Picture water 氵 that cuts like a knife 歰 across your tongue. That rough, puckering feeling is 澀 (sè), the taste of unripe persimmons or strong tea.
澀 describes a dry, puckering taste, a rough surface, or writing that is hard to read. It also appears in feeling words like 羞澀 (xiūsè, shy) and 苦澀 (kǔsè, bitter, pained). Example: 這個柿子很澀。(Zhège shìzi hěn sè.) This persimmon is very astringent.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 澀 (sè, astringent) with 酸 (suān, sour). Lemon is 酸, but unripe fruit or strong tea that dries your mouth is 澀. Also note the simplified form 涩 looks quite different, so do not treat them as unrelated characters.
Common words with 澀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 羞澀 | xiūsè | shy; bashful | |
| 苦澀 | kǔsè | bitter and astringent; pained |
Questions about 澀
How many strokes are in 澀?
澀 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 澀 mean?
澀 (sè) means astringent, harsh, rough, uneven. A common word with it is 羞涩 (xiūsè), meaning "shy; bashful".
How do you pronounce 澀?
澀 is pronounced sè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 澀?
The radical of 澀 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 澀 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 澀?
澀 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 涩, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I describe a rough or sticky mechanical part with 澀?
You can say 很澀 (hěn sè) when something does not move smoothly, like a stiff drawer or a rusty hinge. People also say 乾澀 (gānsè) for dry, scratchy eyes or skin.
What does 晦澀 mean when talking about writing?
晦澀 (huìsè) means obscure or hard to understand. It is used for difficult texts or poems, following the sense of 澀 as something not smooth to get through.