The character 受 — “receive”: how to write it and what it means

受
shòu

receive; endure

8 strokes · HSK 3 · word page

The Chinese character 受 is read shòu and means “receive; endure”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 受

受 has 8 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 受, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 受 is made of

There is a hand at the top and one at the bottom: one gives, the other receives.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 受

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 受?

受 has 8 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 受 mean?

受 means “receive; endure”. It appears in 受到 (“receive”), 感受 (“experience”), 难受 (“feel unwell”), 接受 (“accept”).

How do you pronounce 受?

受 is read shòu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 受 have?

8 strokes.

← 界 boundary而 and →

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 受 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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