薯 meaning and stroke order
Yam, tuber, potato
How to write 薯, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
Meaning of 薯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- potato
- yam
- variant of 薯[shu3]
How 薯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 署 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 薯
薯 is a plant (艹 on top) with 署 (shǔ) underneath giving the sound. Picture a plant whose real treasure sits hidden under the ground, like a potato tucked below its leafy top.
薯 rarely appears alone. It shows up in words for potatoes and other tubers, such as 薯条 (shǔtiáo, french fries), 薯片 (shǔpiàn, potato chips) and 红薯 (hóngshǔ, sweet potato). Example: 我想吃薯条。(Wǒ xiǎng chī shǔtiáo.) I want to eat french fries.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the grass radical and write 署 (shǔ, office or to sign), which has the same sound but a different meaning. Also note the third tone, so do not say it like 书 (shū) or 树 (shù).
Common words with 薯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
薯 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 薯
How many strokes are in 薯?
薯 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 薯 mean?
薯 (shǔ) means yam, tuber, potato. A common word with it is 薯条 (shǔtiáo), meaning "french fries; french fried potatoes".
How do you pronounce 薯?
薯 is pronounced shǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 薯?
The radical of 薯 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 薯 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 薯?
The traditional form of 薯 is 藷. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 薯 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 薯 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 薯 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 马铃薯 and 土豆?
Both mean potato. 马铃薯 (mǎlíngshǔ) is the more formal or scientific term, while 土豆 (tǔdòu) is what most people say in everyday mainland Chinese.
Does 红薯 have other names?
Yes. Sweet potato is also called 地瓜 (dìguā) in many northern areas and Taiwan, and 番薯 (fānshǔ) in southern China. The name you hear depends on the region.