酥 meaning and stroke order
Flaky pastry; crunchy; limp
How to write 酥, 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.
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Meaning of 酥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- flaky pastry
- crunchy
- limp
- soft
- silky
How 酥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grain.
禾 gives the meaning and 酉 hints at the sound.
Radical: 酉 (wine), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 酥
酥 combines 酉 (a wine jar) with 禾 (grain). Picture grain baked with rich fat until it turns light and flaky, so the treat crumbles at a touch.
酥 describes food that is crispy and flaky, and it also names flaky pastries such as 桃酥 (táosū). It can describe a body that feels limp or weak, as in 酥软 (sūruǎn). Example: 这个饼干很酥。(Zhège bǐnggān hěn sū.) This biscuit is very crisp.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the grain part on the left, but in 酥 the 酉 goes on the left and 禾 on the right. Also keep the first tone sū, and do not confuse it with 苏 (sū), which sounds the same but is used in names like 苏州 (Sūzhōu).
Common words with 酥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 奶酥 | nǎisū | butter biscuit; butter bun |
酥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 酥
How many strokes are in 酥?
酥 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 酥 mean?
酥 (sū) means flaky pastry; crunchy; limp. A common word with it is 奶酥 (nǎisū), meaning "butter biscuit; butter bun".
How do you pronounce 酥?
酥 is pronounced sū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 酥?
The radical of 酥 is 酉, which carries the idea of "wine". Dictionaries list 酥 under this radical.
Is 酥 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 酥 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 酥 and 脆 (cuì)?
脆 means crisp and snappy, like a fresh apple or a cracker that breaks cleanly. 酥 means flaky and crumbly, like pastry that melts and falls apart in your mouth. Many snacks are called 酥脆 (sūcuì) when they are both.
Can 酥 describe a feeling and not just food?
Yes. 酥 can describe a tingly, weak, or limp feeling in the body, as in 腿都酥了 (tuǐ dōu sū le), meaning my legs went weak. 酥麻 (sūmá) describes a tingling, numb sensation.