绣 (xiù) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

绣

xiù[xiu4]Tone 4

to embroider; embroidery

HSK 7

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繡

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to embroider; embroidery

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:10

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (纟) occupies about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (肃) two-thirds of the space to maintain structural equilibrium.

Simplification Logic: The traditional radical 糹 is simplified to 纟, and the right-side phonetic component 肅 is standardized into 肃.

1. Meaning

to embroider; embroidery

decorative needleworkornamental stitching

Verb / NounFormal / Literary#crafts#textiles#art

Sample Usage

她正在绣一朵花。
tā zhèngzài xiù yì duǒ huā.
She is embroidering a flower.
这件衣服上有精美的刺绣。
zhè jiàn yīfu shàng yǒu jīngměi de cìxiù.
There is exquisite embroidery on this piece of clothing.

2. Sound

/[ɕi̯u⁵¹]/Tone: 51

绣

xiùxiu4

`(51)

=xiù

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

xiu

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per the side-by-side rule (in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative

Sounds like: soft sh / sy sound made with tongue blade near hard palate

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Front of the tongue raised close to the hard palate, air passes through a narrow gap.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: rhymes with -oo in 'zoo', with an i-glide prefix

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

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

Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: iu is short for iou, where the middle 'o' is silent in pronunciation when following an initial.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, identical to shouting a sudden command like 'Down!'

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the initial [ɕ] sound with an English 'sh' sound; remember that [ɕ] is produced with the tongue blade closer to the hard palate and teeth smiling slightly.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, downward slashing hand motion representing the descending 51 tone pitch.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (纟) occupies about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (肃) two-thirds of the space to maintain structural equilibrium.

Simplification Logic: The traditional radical 糹 is simplified to 纟, and the right-side phonetic component 肅 is standardized into 肃.

4. Components

Radical 纟 · Silk Radical (silk, threads, textiles)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 纟 (Indicates that embroidery involves silk threads and textiles.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 肃 (original sound: xiù / sù)

Silk threads (纟) are carefully arranged in a strict, dignified, and orderly (肃) manner to create intricate embroidery.

纟 silk thread
肃 respectful / strict (provides phonetic and structural framework)

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

6· Phonetic Root: 秀 (xiù)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the silk radical (纟) indicating the material used, and 肃 (sù) which historically contributed both phonetic value and a sense of neatness or precision required in needlework.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to fine needlework and decorative stitching on silk fabrics, expanding over time to denote embroidery of various textiles and ornamental patterns.

Chinese embroidery (刺绣 cìxiù) is an ancient art form dating back thousands of years, famously including regional styles like Su embroidery and Xiang embroidery.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

tú

Mandarin tone 4 corresponds to Vietnamese falling tone (sắc or nặng depending on historical register).

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: シュ / Kun: ぬい.ずる

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

수

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine an artisan using colorful SILK threads (纟) with absolute, solemn FOCUS and RESPECT (肃) to stitch a masterpiece of EMBROIDERY (xiù).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

秀

xiùrefined; elegant; graceful; beautiful; showPhonetic Core (声旁)

透

tòupenetrate; thoroughly+ 辶 (walking)

锈

xiùvariant of 鏽|锈[xiu4]+ 钅 (metal)

莠

yǒuSetaria viridis; vicious+ 艹 (plants)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

臭(chòu)

Starts with 'ch-' and means 'smelly', whereas 绣 starts with 'x-' and refers to silk embroidery.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

这幅传统的中国[___]非常精美。

Clue: xiù

Common Learner Pitfall

Mistaking the phonetic component 肃 for a simpler box shape, or mispronouncing the falling Tone 4 as a rising Tone 2.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 绣, what material and action come to mind?

Production: How do you write 'to embroider' (xiù) using the silk radical and its phonetic partner?

绣xiùto embroider; embroidery

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