肃 meaning and stroke order
To pay respects; solemn, reverent
How to write 肃, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 肃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- respectful
- solemn
- to eliminate
- to clean up
How 肃 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 肀 (pen), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 肃
The top part 肀 is a hand holding a brush or tool, held steady and upright. Picture someone standing very still and serious with their hand raised in respect, and you have 肃 (sù), solemn.
肃 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. You will mostly see it in words like 严肃 (yánsù, serious) and 肃静 (sùjìng, solemnly silent). Example: 他的表情很严肃。(Tā de biǎoqíng hěn yánsù.) His expression is very serious.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 肃 with 萧 (xiāo), which has the grass radical 艹 on top and is used in 萧条 (xiāotiáo, depressed). Also remember 肃 is fourth tone sù, not second tone sú.
Common words with 肃
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 严肃 | yánsù | (of an atmosphere etc) solemn; grave; serious; (of a manner etc) earnest; severe; exacting | HSK 5 |
| 肃静 | sùjìng | solemnly silent | |
| 肃清 | sùqīng | to purge |
肃 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 肃
Learning 肃 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 肃
How many strokes are in 肃?
肃 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 肃 mean?
肃 (sù) means to pay respects; solemn, reverent. A common word with it is 严肃 (yánsù), meaning "(of an atmosphere etc) solemn; grave; serious; (of a manner etc) earnest; severe; exacting".
How do you pronounce 肃?
肃 is pronounced sù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 肃?
The radical of 肃 is 肀, which carries the idea of "pen". Dictionaries list 肃 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 肃?
The traditional form of 肃 is 肅. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 肃 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 肃 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 肃 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 严肃 mean when describing a person?
It can mean a person looks stern or serious, like 他很严肃 (he is very serious). It can also describe handling something earnestly, as in 严肃处理 (yánsù chǔlǐ, deal with it seriously).
What does 肃清 mean and where is it used?
肃清 (sùqīng) means to purge or wipe out completely, using the sense of 肃 as to eliminate or clean up. It appears in formal or political contexts, such as removing corruption or enemy forces.