述 meaning and stroke order
To express, to state; to narrate, to tell
How to write 述, 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.
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Meaning of 述
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to state; to tell; to narrate; to relate
How 述 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 术 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 述
述 is built from 辶 (walk) and 术 (shù), which gives the sound. Picture walking someone step by step through a story as you narrate it.
述 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 描述 (miáoshù, to describe), 讲述 (jiǎngshù, to narrate) and 上述 (shàngshù, aforementioned). It sounds formal and is common in writing, news and academic Chinese. Example: 请描述一下那个人。(Qǐng miáoshù yíxià nàge rén.) Please describe that person.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 述 with 术 (shù, skill, as in 技术 jìshù) because they sound the same, or write it as 迷 (mí, lost), which uses 米 instead of 术. Remember that 述 has the dot on the upper right of 术, inside the walk radical.
Common words with 述
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 描述 | miáoshù | to describe; description | HSK 4 |
| 陈述 | chénshù | to state; to declare | HSK 7-9 |
| 讲述 | jiǎngshù | to talk about; to narrate; to give an account | HSK 7-9 |
| 叙述 | xùshù | to relate (a story or information); to tell or talk about | HSK 7-9 |
| 上述 | shàngshù | aforementioned; above-mentioned | HSK 7-9 |
| 阐述 | chǎnshù | to expound (a position); to elaborate (on a topic) | HSK 7-9 |
| 表述 | biǎoshù | to express; to articulate; to formulate | HSK 7-9 |
| 论述 | lùnshù | treatise; discourse | HSK 7-9 |
| 综上所述 | zōngshàng-suǒshù | to summarize; to sum up | HSK 7-9 |
| 引述 | yǐnshù | to quote | |
| 口述 | kǒushù | to dictate; to recount orally | |
| 复述 | fùshù | to repeat (one's own words or sb else's); (in the classroom) to paraphrase what one has le | |
| 供述 | gòngshù | confession |
述 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 述
How many strokes are in 述?
述 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 述 mean?
述 (shù) means to express, to state; to narrate, to tell. A common word with it is 描述 (miáoshù), meaning "to describe; description".
How do you pronounce 述?
述 is pronounced shù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 述?
The radical of 述 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 述 under this radical.
Is 述 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 述 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 述 by itself to mean 'to say'?
Not in everyday speech. Use 说 (shuō) or 讲 (jiǎng) alone, and use 述 only inside compounds like 叙述 or 陈述.
What is the difference between 描述 and 叙述?
描述 (miáoshù) focuses on describing how something looks or what it is like. 叙述 (xùshù) focuses on relating events in order, like telling a story.