銹 meaning and stroke order
To rust, to corrode
How to write 銹, stroke by stroke
15 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 銹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 鏽|锈[xiu4]
How 銹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
釒 gives the meaning and 秀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 銹
The metal side 釒 tells you this is about metal, and 秀 (xiù) gives the sound. Picture a piece of metal that 秀 shows off its age by growing rust.
銹 is a variant traditional form of 鏽, and both mean rust or to rust; in mainland simplified Chinese it is written 锈 (xiù). It appears in words like 生銹 (shēng xiù, to get rusty) and 銹蝕 (xiù shí, to corrode). Example: 這把刀生銹了。(Zhè bǎ dāo shēng xiù le.) This knife has rusted.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read the phonetic 秀 and confuse 銹 with 绣/繡 (xiù, to embroider), which has the silk radical instead of metal. Keep the metal radical in mind: rust needs metal, embroidery needs thread.
Questions about 銹
How many strokes are in 銹?
銹 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 銹 mean?
銹 (xiù) means to rust, to corrode.
How do you pronounce 銹?
銹 is pronounced xiù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 銹?
The radical of 銹 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 銹 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 銹?
銹 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 锈, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Should I write 銹 or 鏽 in traditional Chinese?
Both are accepted as rust, but 鏽 is the standard form in Taiwan, while 銹 is a common variant seen in Hong Kong and older texts. In simplified Chinese, use 锈.
Can 銹 be used figuratively?
Yes. Like English rusty, 生銹 can describe skills or a mind that has gone unused, for example 我的中文生銹了 (wǒ de Zhōngwén shēng xiù le), my Chinese has gotten rusty.