遂 meaning and stroke order
To fail; to follow, to comply with
How to write 遂, stroke by stroke
12 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
Meaning of 遂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to satisfy
- to succeed
- then
- thereupon
- finally
- unexpectedly
- used in 半身不遂[ban4 shen1 bu4 sui2]
- Taiwan pr. [sui4]
How 遂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 豕 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 遂
遂 combines the walking radical 辶 (meaning walk) with 豕 (shǐ, pig) plus two little strokes 丷 on top, which serves as the sound part. Picture a pig that keeps walking along the road until it finally gets where it wants to go, so it succeeds and things go as wished.
遂 is mostly formal or written. It means to fulfill a wish or succeed, as in 遂心 (suìxīn, to one's liking), and in literary style it means "then" or "thereupon." A common legal word is 未遂 (wèisuì), meaning an attempt that failed: 杀人未遂 (shārén wèisuì) attempted murder.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 遂 with 逐 (zhú, to chase), which also has 辶 and 豕 but lacks the 丷 on top. Another trap is the short definition "to fail": 遂 itself means to succeed, and the failure sense comes from 未遂 (not succeeded) or 不遂.
Common words with 遂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
遂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 遂
Learning 遂 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 遂
How many strokes are in 遂?
遂 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 遂 mean?
遂 (suì) means to fail; to follow, to comply with. A common word with it is 遂心 (suìxīn), meaning "to one's liking".
How do you pronounce 遂?
遂 is pronounced suì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 遂?
The radical of 遂 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 遂 under this radical.
Is 遂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 遂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you pronounce 遂 in 半身不遂?
In mainland Mandarin, 半身不遂 (bànshēn bùsuí, hemiplegia, paralysis of one side of the body) is read with suí in the second tone. In Taiwan it is read suì, the same as the usual pronunciation.
Does 遂 appear in any common set phrases?
Yes. 毛遂自荐 (Máo Suì zì jiàn) means to volunteer oneself, from the story of Mao Sui. 顺遂 (shùnsuì) means going smoothly, and 遂愿 (suìyuàn) means to have one's wish fulfilled.