舜 meaning and stroke order
Legendary ruler
How to write 舜, stroke by stroke
12 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
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- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
How 舜 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Claw.
爫 gives the meaning and 舛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 舛 (mistaken), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 舜
Picture a hand 爫 (claw) reaching down over a cover 冖, above two feet 舛 (chuǎn) stepping in opposite directions. The wise ruler 舜 (shùn) reached down to guide people whose steps went every which way.
舜 (shùn) mostly appears as the name of the legendary sage king Shun, often paired with 尧 (Yáo) as a model of virtuous rule. You will also see it in personal names and in classical texts. Example: 尧舜是古代的圣君。(Yáo Shùn shì gǔdài de shèngjūn.) Yao and Shun were sage rulers of ancient times.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 舜 (shùn) with 瞬 (shùn, "blink, instant"), which adds 目 (eye) on the left and appears in 瞬间 (shùnjiān). Use 舜 only for the ruler or a name.
Characters that contain 舜
Learning 舜 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 舜
How many strokes are in 舜?
舜 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 舜 mean?
舜 (shùn) means legendary ruler.
How do you pronounce 舜?
舜 is pronounced shùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 舜?
The radical of 舜 is 舛, which carries the idea of "mistaken". Dictionaries list 舜 under this radical.
Who was Shun in Chinese history?
Shun is a legendary ruler from before recorded dynasties. Tradition says the ruler Yao chose him for his virtue and filial piety, and Shun later passed power to Yu. Confucian writers held him up as an ideal ruler.
Can 舜 be used in everyday words?
Not really. Outside the ruler's name it mainly shows up in given names. It also appears in some character combinations, such as the hibiscus word 舜华 in classical poetry.