肃 (sù) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

肃

sù[su4]Tone 4

respectful, solemn, to eliminate

HSK 5

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肅

Guru Deep Dive

English · respectful, solemn, to eliminate

Cached lesson

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Topology:Top-bottom

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: Ensure the upper brush strokes remain compact and centered so the lower legs provide stable support without spreading too wide.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 肅 was simplified in modern Chinese by regularizing the internal strokes and bottom components into a cleaner, streamlined shape.

1. Meaning

respectful, solemn

to eliminateto clean upsurname Su

AdjectiveFormalBound morpheme#behavior#attitude#governance

Sample Usage

气氛严肃
qìfēn yánsù
The atmosphere is solemn.
肃清敌对势力
sùqīng dīduì shílì
To purge hostile forces.

2. Sound

/[su⁵¹]/Tone: 51

肃

sùsu4

`(51)

=sù

Initial Consonant

Type: Dental Fricative

Sounds like: s as in sun

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Clear, steady sibilant hiss.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tip of the tongue approaches the back of the upper teeth without fully stopping airflow, creating a hiss.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: u as in boot

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

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

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges sharply to the bottom, like a sudden exclamation of command.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 4 syllable, the pitch drop becomes slightly shorter and more abrupt.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the sibilant initial 's-' with the retroflex 'sh-', pronouncing it as 'shù' instead of 'sù'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, downward karate chop from high to low, representing a commanding and solemn drop in pitch.

3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Ensure the upper brush strokes remain compact and centered so the lower legs provide stable support without spreading too wide.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 肅 was simplified in modern Chinese by regularizing the internal strokes and bottom components into a cleaner, streamlined shape.

4. Components

Radical 聿 · writing brush radical (brush)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 聿 (Conveys holding a writing brush or maintaining strict rules and records.)

The character combines an upper structure representing an enclosure or boundary with the writing brush radical (聿) at the bottom, symbolizing a solemn space where strict rules are written.

⺕ Upper enclosure or folding border
聿 Writing brush

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

5· Phonetic Root: 肃 (sù)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a hand holding a writing brush inside a enclosure or government office, signifying awe-inspiring discipline, respect, and record-keeping.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from the notion of reverent holding of official writing tools to general meanings of solemnity, seriousness, and cleansing or eliminating wrongdoings.

In ancient times, entering a government hall required extreme solemnity and respectful silence.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ソク / Kun: きよ.める

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

숙

Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 's-' and final '-u' remain very close to Sino-Japanese 'soku' and Korean 'suk'.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Inside a solemn courtroom bounded by strict walls (⺕), an official holds a writing brush (聿) to respectfully and sternly sentence wrongdoers, eliminating corruption.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

萧

xiāodesolate, mugwortAdded grass radical (艹) on top for plants and desolation.

箫

xiāovertical bamboo fluteAdded bamboo radical (⺮) on top for musical instruments.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

素(sù)

素 means plain or white and features the thread/silk element at the bottom instead of the brush radical 聿.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

会场里的气氛非常[___]。

Clue: yán sù

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 肃 (sù) with 素 (sù) in writing due to similar pronunciation and lookalike structures.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 肃 mean when seen in 严肃 (yánsù)?

Production: How do you write the character for 'solemn/respectful' (sù) with 8 strokes?

肃sùrespectful, solemn, to eliminate

Speed:

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