疏 (shū) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

疏

shū[shu1]Tone 1

sparse, distant, to clear away

HSK 7

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · sparse, distant, to clear away

Cached lesson

1 / 1

Topology:Left-right

Strokes:12

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the 'foot' radical 疋) and the right side (the component 束) must be proportioned evenly so that neither part crowds the other.

1. Meaning

sparse, distant, to clear/dredge

surname Shuto neglectnegligentto present a memorialcommentary

Adjective / VerbFormal / Literary#distance#density#governance#water management

Sample Usage

ourselves关系疏远
guānxì shūyuǎn
the relationship is distant and estranged
疏通河道
shūtōng hédào
to dredge and clear the river channel

2. Sound

/[ʂu⁵⁵]/Tone: 55

疏

shūshu1

¯(55)

=shū

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

shu

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Say it like:“shoe”Close approximationTone pitch cue:flat, high

Key difference: Mandarin sh is retroflex [ʂ] (tongue curled back); English 'shoe' is palato-alveolar.

Initial Consonant

Type: Retroflex Fricative

Sounds like: sh (retroflex sh sound like in shoe)

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: Hollow wind sound through curled tongue channel.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate without touching it

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: -oo rhymes with boot

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T1 (55)

5 → 5 (55)

1st Tone (High-Flat)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high at pitch 55, similar to a sustained musical high note in normal speech.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse the retroflex sh with the dental-alveolar s sound; make sure your tongue curls back and does not touch your front teeth.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A high, flat musical note held steady at the top of your vocal range, like a sustained singing pitch.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the 'foot' radical 疋) and the right side (the component 束) must be proportioned evenly so that neither part crowds the other.

4. Components

Radical 疋 · foot radical (foot, leg)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 疋 (provides the underlying semantic link to walking or stepping apart)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 束 (original sound: shù)

Composed of the foot radical (疋) on the left and a bundle (束) on the right, suggesting feet stepping apart or loosening a tightly bound bundle so that things become sparse.

疋 foot radical
束 bundle / phonetic and semantic clue

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

2· Phonetic Root: 疏 (shū)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the foot radical (疋) indicating movement with a bundle (束) to represent untying or scattering what was bundled together.

Semantic Evolution: From 'untie a bundle' to 'spread out', 'sparse', 'distant', and 'to dredge or clear obstructions'.

Often used in classical Chinese literature to refer to memorials presented by officials to the emperor.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine untying a tightly bound bundle (束) with your foot (疋), causing all the items inside to scatter and become sparse (疏).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

蔬

shūvegetables+ 艹 (plants)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

叔(shū)

叔 means uncle and lacks the foot radical on the left.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他们两家的关系很[___]。

Clue: shū

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 疏 (shū) with 叔 (shū) in handwriting because of their similar phonetic components.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 疏 mean when describing population density or relationship?

Production: How do you write the character for sparse or distant (shū)?

疏shūsparse, distant, to clear away

Speed:

Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...

0 / 0