順 meaning and stroke order
To submit to, to obey, to go along with
How to write 順, 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 順
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to obey
- to follow
- to arrange
- to make reasonable
- along
- favorable
How 順 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Head.
頁 gives the meaning and 川 hints at the sound.
Radical: 頁 (page), shared by 45 characters on this site.
How to remember 順
順 is pictophonetic: 川 (chuān, river) on the left gives the sound, and 頁 (yè, head) on the right gives the meaning. Picture a head bowed and going along with the flow of a river, which is the idea of obeying and following.
順 (simplified 顺) means to follow, go along with, or be smooth and favorable, and it appears in many everyday words like 顺利 (shùnlì), 顺便 (shùnbiàn) and 顺序 (shùnxù). Example: 祝你一路顺风。(Zhù nǐ yīlù shùnfēng.) I wish you a pleasant journey.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the left part of 順 with the three equal strokes of 川 too short or confuse it with 训 (xùn, to train), which also contains 川 but has the speech radical. Also keep the fourth tone: shùn, not shǔn.
Common words with 順
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 順利 | shùnlì | smoothly; without a hitch | HSK 2 |
| 一路順風 | yīlù-shùnfēng | to have a pleasant journey (idiom) | HSK 2 |
| 順序 | shùnxù | sequence; order | HSK 4 |
| 順便 | shùnbiàn | conveniently; in passing | HSK 7-9 |
| 順著 | shùnzhe | to follow; following | HSK 7-9 |
| 順從 | shùncóng | obedient; to comply | HSK 7-9 |
| 順其自然 | shùnqízìrán | to let nature take its course (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 順路 | shùnlù | by the way; while out doing sth else | HSK 7-9 |
| 一帆風順 | yīfān-fēngshùn | propitious wind throughout the journey (idiom); plain sailing | HSK 7-9 |
| 孝順 | xiàoshùn | filial; dutiful | HSK 7-9 |
| 順手 | shùnshǒu | as an incidental action while doing sth else; while one is at it; in passing; smooth; easy | HSK 7-9 |
| 順暢 | shùnchàng | smooth and unhindered; fluent | HSK 7-9 |
| 順勢 | shùnshì | to take advantage; to seize an opportunity | HSK 7-9 |
| 順心 | shùnxīn | happy; satisfactory | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 順
How many strokes are in 順?
順 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 順 mean?
順 (shùn) means to submit to, to obey, to go along with. A common word with it is 顺利 (shùnlì), meaning "smoothly; without a hitch".
How do you pronounce 順?
順 is pronounced shùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 順?
The radical of 順 is 頁, which carries the idea of "page". Dictionaries list 順 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 順?
順 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 顺, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 顺便 and 顺路?
顺便 (shùnbiàn) means doing something in passing while you are already doing another thing, for any kind of activity. 顺路 (shùnlù) is specifically about location, meaning something is on your way.
Can 顺 describe a sentence or writing?
Yes. 通顺 (tōngshùn) or just 顺 describes writing that reads smoothly and naturally, as in 这句话不太顺 (zhè jù huà bú tài shùn), this sentence does not read smoothly.