逊 meaning and stroke order
Humble, modest; to yield
How to write 逊, stroke by stroke
9 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 逊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to abdicate
- modest
- yielding
- unpretentious
- inferior to
- (slang) to suck
How 逊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 孙 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 逊
逊 combines 辶 (walking) with 孙 (sūn, grandchild), which also hints at the sound. Picture a grandchild 孙 politely stepping back on the road 辶 to let elders walk first, which is humble and yielding.
In formal Chinese, 逊 appears mostly in set words like 谦逊 (qiānxùn, modest) and 逊色 (xùnsè, inferior). A common pattern is 毫不逊色 or 毫无逊色, meaning "not inferior at all." Example: 他的表现毫不逊色。(Tā de biǎoxiàn háo bù xùnsè.) His performance was not inferior at all.
Common mistake: Learners often read 逊 as sūn because of the phonetic 孙, but it is xùn with a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 迅 (xùn, fast), which sounds the same but means quick, as in 迅速 (xùnsù).
Common words with 逊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
逊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 逊
How many strokes are in 逊?
逊 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 逊 mean?
逊 (xùn) means humble, modest; to yield. A common word with it is 谦逊 (qiānxùn), meaning "humble; modest".
How do you pronounce 逊?
逊 is pronounced xùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 逊?
The radical of 逊 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 逊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 逊?
The traditional form of 逊 is 遜. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 逊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 逊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 逊 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 逊 mean as slang?
In casual speech, especially among young people in Taiwan, 逊 can mean something is lame or that someone sucks, as in 你好逊 (nǐ hǎo xùn), you are so lame. It is informal and teasing, so avoid it in serious situations.
Is 谦逊 different from 谦虚?
Both mean modest. 谦虚 (qiānxū) is the everyday word and is often used for behavior, like 别谦虚了 (don't be so modest). 谦逊 sounds more formal and literary and usually describes someone's character or manner.