須 meaning and stroke order
Beard; must; necessary
How to write 須, 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 須
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- must
- to have to
- to wait
How 須 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Hair 彡 growing on the face 頁.
Radical: 頁 (page), shared by 45 characters on this site.
How to remember 須
The left part 彡 looks like strands of hair, and the right part 頁 is a head or face. Hair growing on the face gives the original meaning, a beard.
Today 須 (xū) mostly means "must" or "need to," and it usually appears in words like 必須 (bìxū) rather than alone. Example: 你必須早點來。(Nǐ bìxū zǎo diǎn lái.) You must come a little early.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 須 with 需 (xū, need), which has the same sound. 須 stresses obligation, as in 必須 (must), while 需 stresses requirement, as in 需要 (xūyào, to need).
Common words with 須
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Characters that contain 須
Learning 須 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 須
How many strokes are in 須?
須 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 須 mean?
須 (xū) means beard; must; necessary. A common word with it is 必须 (bìxū), meaning "must; to have to".
How do you pronounce 須?
須 is pronounced xū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 須?
The radical of 須 is 頁, which carries the idea of "page". Dictionaries list 須 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 須?
須 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 须, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 須 have a simplified form 须 but beard is written 鬚 in traditional Chinese?
In traditional writing, the beard meaning is usually written 鬚, with the hair radical 髟 added, while 須 is kept for "must." Simplified Chinese merges both into 须.
What does 莫须有 (mòxūyǒu) really mean?
It literally means "perhaps there was" and describes an accusation made up without evidence. It is used for groundless charges, as in 莫须有的罪名 (a trumped-up charge).