Meaning of 出
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to go out; to come out
- to arise; to occur
- to produce; to yield
- to go beyond; to exceed
- (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result)
- classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc
- variant of 出[chu1] (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels)
How to use 出
出 means to go out or come out, and it often appears in compounds like 出去 (chūqù, to go out) and 出发 (chūfā, to set off). After another verb it shows outward movement or a result, as in 提出 (tíchū, to put forward). Example: 他刚出门。(Tā gāng chū mén.) He just went out.
出 (chū) looks like two 山 (shān, mountain) shapes stacked on top of each other. Picture yourself climbing out over one mountain and then another to get out.
Common mistake: Learners often say 出 alone when a direction word is needed. Natural speech prefers 出去 (going out, away from the speaker) or 出来 (coming out, toward the speaker), so pick the one that matches where the speaker is.
出 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
出 chū · to go out · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 出.
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out; to appear |
| 出去 | chūqù | to go out |
| 出现 | chūxiàn | to appear; to arise; to emerge; to show up |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey); (fig.) to proceed from (a particular standpoint or ba |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born |
| 提出 | tíchū | to raise (an issue); to propose |
| 找出 | zhǎochū | to find; to search out |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | an exit; to speak |
| 拿出 | náchū | to take out; to put out |
| 出门 | chūmén | to go out; to leave home |
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi; (Tw) rental car |
| 得出 | déchū | to obtain (a result); to arrive at (a conclusion) |
Questions about 出
What does 出 mean?
出 (chū) means "to go out; to come out; to arise; to occur" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 出?
出 is made of 1 character: 出 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 出 an HSK word?
Yes. 出 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 出来 and 出去?
出来 (chūlái) means coming out toward the speaker. 出去 (chūqù) means going out away from the speaker. If you are outside calling to a friend inside, say 出来吧 (chūlái ba).
How is 出 used as a classifier?
出 can count plays, operas and dramas, similar to how 部 (bù) counts films. For example, 一出戏 (yì chū xì) means one play.