述 (shù) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

述

shù[shu4]Tone 4

to state

HSK 4

Guru Deep Dive

English · to state

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (the step radical 彳) is narrower, while the right component (术) occupies the main structural weight. Keep the horizontal and vertical strokes balanced so the character does not lean.

1. Meaning

to state, to narrate, or to recount

to expressto explain

VerbFormalBound morpheme#communication#speech#literature

Sample Usage

上述
shàngshù
above-mentioned
叙述
xùshù
to recount / to narrate

2. Sound

/[ʂu⁵¹]/Tone: 51

述

shùshu4

`(51)

=shù

Initial Consonant

Type: Retroflex Fricative

Sounds like: sh sound in 'shh' or retroflex sh/ship

UnaspiratedRetroflex

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

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near the hard palate, creating a narrow gap for air friction.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound 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 drops abruptly like an emphatic 'No!' or a stern command.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex 'sh-' initial with the dental-alveolar 's-' initial (shu vs su). Make sure the tongue curls back for 'shù'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A decisive karate chop downward, matching the 51 high-to-low dropping pitch of Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

4. Components

Radical 彳 · Step Radical (step, movement, path)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 彳 (indicates movement or action (stepping forward to speak))

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

You take a step forward (彳) to apply your skill or method (术) in order to state or narrate something important.

彳 step / movement radical
术 art / method / phonetic clue

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

5· Phonetic Root: 术 (shù)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the step radical (彳) indicating motion and the phonetic/semantic component (术) denoting craft or method, originally implying following a path of expression or recounting an account.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from the physical act of proceeding along a path to the abstract sense of recounting, stating, or explaining thoughts and histories.

Often used in classical and formal academic titles, such as commentaries and historical treatises.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

thuật

Corresponds to the heavy falling tone (thُật) in Sino-Vietnamese.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ジュツ / Kun: の.べる

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

술

Sound Shift Bridge: Shares the common 'shu' / 'jutsu' / 'thuật' root across East Asian literary vocabulary.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

As you take a **step** (彳) forward, you display your **artistic skill** (术) in public by **stating** and narrating a grand story.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

术

shùart, skillLacks the step radical on the left.

沭

shùShu riverReplaces the left step radical with the water radical (氵).

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

树(shù)

樹 (tree) contains the wood radical (木) on the left instead of the step radical (彳).

术(shù)

术 is just the right-hand component of 述 without the step radical.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

请你简要地[___]一下事情的经过。

Clue: shù

Common Learner Pitfall

Mistaking 述 (shù) for 树 (shù - tree) or forgetting that 述 is a bound form primarily appearing in compound words like 叙述 or 上述.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 述, what formal action does it describe?

Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to state' or 'to narrate' (shù)?

述shùto state

Speed:

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