The character 突 — “suddenly”: how to write it and what it means
suddenly; burst out
The Chinese character 突 is read tū and means “suddenly; burst out”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 突
突 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 突, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 突 is made of
On top, 穴 “burrow”; below, 犬 “dog”: a dog bursts out of its burrow.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 突
- 突然suddenly; suddenHSK 3
- 突出outstanding; highlightHSK 5
- 突发break out suddenlyHSK 6
- 突破break through; breakthroughHSK 6
- 冲突clash; conflictHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 突?
突 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 突 mean?
突 means “suddenly; burst out”. It appears in 突然 (“suddenly”), 突出 (“outstanding”), 突发 (“break out suddenly”), 突破 (“break through”).
How do you pronounce 突?
突 is read tū. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 突 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 突 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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