出 (chū) means "to go out, to come out" with 5 strokes, radical 凵 (open box), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to go out
Other meanings:
- to come out
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The oracle-bone form of 出 shows a foot 止 stepping up and out of a hollow or pit 凵, which represents a dwelling or cave entrance. Bronze inscriptions keep this composition clearly, with the toes pointing upward and outward. The character is a direct pictograph of the act of leaving one's shelter.
Form evolution
Oracle-bone and bronze forms show a recognisable foot above a container shape. Seal script stylised the foot into curved strokes and regularised the container into a symmetrical base. Clerical script fused the two elements into the modern shape, which looks like two 山 stacked but has no historical connection to 'mountain'. The modern 楷书 form is identical in simplified and traditional writing.
How the meaning evolved
The original meaning was to go out or emerge, and this core sense has been stable for over three thousand years. It extended to mean producing, issuing, appearing, or exceeding, as in 出版 (publish), 出现 (appear), and 出色 (outstanding). As a verb complement it marks motion away from an enclosed space or the surfacing of something previously hidden.
Cultural note
The common reading of 出 as two 山 stacked is a folk analysis and is historically wrong; there is no mountain in the character. Recognising the foot-in-doorway origin helps learners remember why 出 functions as a directional complement of emergence, as in 拿出来 (take out) and 想出来 (think up).
Mnemonic
A sprout pushes out of a container — to exit
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | chū |
| Meanings | to go out, to come out |
| Stroke count | 5 strokes |
| Radical | 凵 (#17: open box) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #4 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 出
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 出 | chū | to go out | HSK 2 |
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi | HSK 1 |
| 出现 | chūxiàn | to appear | HSK 4 |
| 出差 | chūchāi | A business travel | HSK 4 |
| 出发 | chūfā | Set out | HSK 3 |
| 出生 | chūshēng | Birth | HSK 3 |
| 演出 | yǎnchū | show | HSK 4 |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | Exit | HSK 4 |
| 出示 | chūshì | show | HSK 6 |
| 出席 | chūxí | Attend | HSK 5 |
| 突出 | tūchū | prominent | HSK 5 |
| 出版 | chūbǎn | publish | HSK 5 |
| 出色 | chūsè | excellent; outstanding | HSK 5 |
| 播出 | bōchū | to broadcast, to transmit | |
| 不出所料 | bùchūsuǒliào | as expected | |
| 层出不穷 | céngchūbùqióng | emerge in an endless stream | HSK 7-9 |
| 超出 | chāochū | to exceed, to go beyond | HSK 5 |
Related characters
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.