薛 meaning and stroke order
Wormwood, marsh grass; a feudal state
How to write 薛, stroke by stroke
16 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 薛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- wormwood like grass (classical)
How 薛 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A kind of bitter 辛 grass 艹.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 薛
The grass radical 艹 sits on top, and 辛 (xīn, bitter) sits at the bottom right. Picture a bitter grass growing in a marsh, which is the old meaning of 薛.
Today 薛 is used almost only as a surname. It was also the name of an ancient feudal state, and the plant meaning appears only in classical texts. Example: 我的老师姓薛。 (Wǒ de lǎoshī xìng Xuē.) My teacher's surname is Xue.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 薛 with 辟 (pì) or 避 (bì), because they share the left part and the 辛 piece. 薛 has 艹 on top and is read xuē in the first tone, not xuě like 雪 (snow).
薛 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 薛
Learning 薛 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 薛
How many strokes are in 薛?
薛 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 薛 mean?
薛 (xuē) means wormwood, marsh grass; a feudal state.
How do you pronounce 薛?
薛 is pronounced xuē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 薛?
The radical of 薛 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 薛 under this radical.
Is 薛 a common Chinese surname?
Yes, 薛 (Xuē) is a fairly well known surname in China. Famous bearers include the Tang dynasty general 薛仁贵 (Xuē Réngguì) and the singer 薛之谦 (Xuē Zhīqiān).
Do I need to learn 薛 for everyday reading?
You will mostly see it in people's names, history, and literature. It is worth recognizing, but you will rarely need to write it outside of names.