蜀 meaning and stroke order
The name of an ancient state
How to write 蜀, stroke by stroke
13 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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How 蜀 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蜀
Picture a big eye 罒 on top of a curled body 勹 wrapped around a bug 虫. It is a caterpillar with a huge eye, and you can imagine the misty hills of old Sichuan full of such creatures.
蜀 (shǔ) is the name of an ancient state in what is now Sichuan, and today it serves as a short literary name for Sichuan itself. You meet it in history, place names, and set phrases. Example: 蜀道难 (Shǔ dào nán), "The road to Shu is hard."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 蜀 with 独 (dú, alone) and 烛 (zhú, candle), which both contain 虫 but have a side radical instead of 罒 on top. Also keep the third tone, shǔ, and do not mix it up with 属 (shǔ, belong to), which sounds the same.
蜀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 蜀
Learning 蜀 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 蜀
How many strokes are in 蜀?
蜀 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蜀 mean?
蜀 (shǔ) means the name of an ancient state.
How do you pronounce 蜀?
蜀 is pronounced shǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 蜀?
The radical of 蜀 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蜀 under this radical.
Is 蜀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 蜀 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 蜀 and 川 as names for Sichuan?
川 (chuān) is the common everyday abbreviation, as in 川菜 (chuāncài, Sichuan cuisine). 蜀 (shǔ) sounds more classical and historical, as in 蜀绣 (shǔxiù, Sichuan embroidery).
How does 蜀 relate to the Three Kingdoms period?
During the Three Kingdoms, one of the three states was called 蜀 (Shǔ), often written 蜀汉 (Shǔ Hàn), founded by 刘备 (Liú Bèi). It stood alongside 魏 (Wèi) and 吴 (Wú).