书 (shū) means "book" with 4 strokes, radical 乙 (second), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: book
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The traditional 書 is a phono-semantic compound: 聿 (a hand holding a writing brush) on top, with 者 (phonetic, later reduced to 曰) below. Oracle bone and bronze forms clearly show a hand gripping a brush with bristles splayed. It originally meant the act of writing with a brush, not the resulting book.
Form evolution
Bronze forms show the brush-in-hand graphic intact. Seal script regularised the brush component into the recognisable 聿 shape with the lower phonetic. Clerical script flattened the strokes and the brush bristles merged into horizontal lines. The simplified 书 is a cursive-derived form that abstracts the whole character into five strokes, retaining the suggestion of a brush tip at the top.
How the meaning evolved
The earliest sense is 'to write' as a verb. By the classical period it had extended to mean the written product; a document, letter, or bound book. Modern Mandarin keeps both strands: 书 as 'book' (读书 read a book), and the verbal sense surviving in compounds like 书法 (calligraphy) and 书写 (to write out).
Cultural note
书 is one of the 六艺, the six classical arts of a Confucian gentleman, where it specifically meant calligraphy rather than literature. A common learner confusion is that 书 on its own almost never means 'to write' in modern speech; use 写 for that, and reserve 书 for nouns and formal compounds.
Mnemonic
Brush strokes on a page — a book
Basic info
| Pinyin | shū |
| Meanings | book |
| Stroke count | 4 strokes |
| Radical | 乙 (#5: second) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1, write by hand at HSK 1-2 |
| Frequency | #391 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 书
Related characters
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 书 with the rest of your level.
HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
- How to Learn Chinese Grammar: The Practical Guide (No Textbook Required)
- Chinese Home Vocabulary: 80+ Words for Your House & Apartment
- Chinese Reading Practice for Beginners: Where to Start
- 100 Most Common Chinese Words (With Sentences & Audio)
- How to Pass HSK 4: Complete Study Guide & Preparation Strategy
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.