HanziGuru.速 · sù
速
sù[su4]Tone 4

fast, rapid, quick, velocity

HSK 3
Guru Deep Dive

English · fast, rapid, quick, velocity

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (束) acts as the narrow stem, while the right component (辶) wraps securely underneath and to the right, forming a stable chassis for the whole character.
1. Meaning

fast or rapid

quickvelocityspeed
Adjective / NounNeutral#movement#physics#speed
Sample Usage
  • 速度
    sùdù
    speed, velocity
  • 快速
    kuàisù
    fast, rapid, quick
2. Sound
/[su˥˩]/Tone: 51
速
sùsu4
++
`(51)
=sù
Initial Consonant
s
Type: Dental Fricative
Sounds like: s sound like in 'snake'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Clear, steady sibilant hiss.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tip of the tongue approaches the back of the upper teeth without complete closure, allowing air to hiss through.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: -u rhymes with oo in 'food'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges instantly, matching an emphatic command like 'Stop!' or a sharp 'No!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Beginners often mistake Tone 4 (sù) for Tone 1 (sū) because they fail to drop the pitch quickly enough. Ensure the voice dips immediately and forcefully.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 4 drops sharply from high to low, like snapping your hand straight down from the ceiling to the floor in a decisive chopping motion.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (束) acts as the narrow stem, while the right component (辶) wraps securely underneath and to the right, forming a stable chassis for the whole character.

4. Components

Radical 辶 · Walking Radical (movement, motion, road)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 辶 (indicates motion, travel, or speed)

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

Combining the bundling or tightening action of 束 with the movement of 辶 (walking/motion) creates the idea of tightening time and moving quickly—speed.

  • 束 bundle, tie (provides phonetic clue)
  • 辶 movement / walk (provides semantic clue for travel and pace)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed by combining 束 (bundle/tighten) to suggest compressed time and space, with 辶 (movement) to represent traveling at a rapid pace.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical concept of moving swiftly along a path, it expanded to general meanings of velocity, quickness, and efficiency.

  • The 'walking' radical (辶) evolved from ancient depictions of footprints and crossroads.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ソク / Kun: はや.い
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
속
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a tightly bundled package (束) strapped onto a magical walking boot (辶) that zips down the highway at lightning speed (速)!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
束
shùbundle, tieBase phonetic component without the movement radical.
漱
shùgargle, rinseAdds water radical (氵) to indicate rinsing with water.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
束(shù)
束 means bundle and lacks the movement radical (辶) found on the outside of 速.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
为了赶上飞机，我们必须采取[___]行动。
Clue: kuài sù
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 速 (sù) with 束 (shù) or forgetting to include the enclosure walking radical (辶) when handwriting.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 速, what does it mean and how do you pronounce it?
Production: How do you write the character for 'speed, fast' (sù) using the bundle and walking components?
Real-World Video Context

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

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