HanziGuru.输 · shū
输
shū[shu1]Tone 1

to lose; to transport; to contribute

HSK 3
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Guru Deep Dive

English · to lose; to transport; to contribute

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:13
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (車) is narrower and compressed, while the right side (俞) is wider and bears the main visual weight, ensuring the entire character remains stable and balanced.
Simplification Logic: The traditional component 車 was simplified to 车, and 俞 remains standard on the right.
1. Meaning

to lose or be defeated in a contest, game, or argument

to transport or convey goodsto contribute, donate, or pour out (literary)to enter information or a password (colloquial)
VerbNeutral#competition#logistics#finance#technology
Sample Usage
  • 这场比赛我们输了。
    zhè chǎng bǐsài wǒmen shū le.
    We lost this match.
  • 请在这里输你的密码。
    qǐng zài zhèlǐ shū nǐ de mìmǎ.
    Please enter your password here.
2. Sound
/[ʂu⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
输
shūshu1
++
¯(55)
=shū
Initial Consonant
sh
Type: Retroflex Fricative
Sounds like: sh sound as in 'shoe' with retroflex tongue curl
UnaspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: Hollow wind sound through curled tongue channel.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near the hard palate without touching it
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: -u rhymes with oo in 'boot'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch, comparable to a sustained musical note or a flat high tone in English exclamation ('Aah!').
👂
Listening trap: Beginners sometimes confuse 'shū' with 'sū' because they drop the retroflex tongue curling on the initial.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A high, flat, level hand motion held steady in the upper vocal register, just like singing a sustained high note.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 13 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (車) is narrower and compressed, while the right side (俞) is wider and bears the main visual weight, ensuring the entire character remains stable and balanced.

Simplification Logic: The traditional component 車 was simplified to 车, and 俞 remains standard on the right.

4. Components

Radical 车 · Car / Vehicle Radical (vehicles, transport, machinery)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 车 (Indicates transport, movement, or hauling)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 俞 (original sound: shu)

A vehicle (车) hauling loads back and forth, eventually leading to the idea of 'transporting' or 'contributing', and metaphorically 'losing' cargo along the way.

  • 车 Vehicle/transport radical on the left
  • 俞 Phonetic and semantic contributor on the right
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the cart/vehicle radical (车) with the phonetic element 俞 to represent the carriage of goods, which expanded to mean giving, dispatching, and later suffering loss or defeat.

Semantic Evolution: From transporting goods or contributing resources, the meaning extended to 'giving away all one's stakes' in gambling, which eventually generalized to simply 'losing' a game or competition.

  • In modern tech contexts, it has acquired the specialized meaning of 'inputting' data or passwords.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a delivery cart (车) loaded with goods, but you lose (输) everything on the road because you keep inputting the wrong passwords into the digital toll gate.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
输
shūto lose, transportVehicle component on the left
愉
yúpleased, happyHeart component on the left (feelings)
喻
yùmetaphor, analogyMouth component on the left (words/speech)
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
舒(shū)
Has the 'tongue' (舌) component instead of a vehicle (车), meaning comfortable or relaxed.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这场比赛我们不小心[___]了。
Clue: shū
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the meaning of 'to lose' (输) with 'to win' (赢), or forgetting the retroflex 'sh' initial sound.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 输 mean when you see it in a sports game context?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to lose' or 'to transport', and what is its Pinyin?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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