The character 楚 — “distinct”: how to write it and what it means

楚
chǔ

distinct, clear

13 strokes · HSK 3

The Chinese character 楚 is read chǔ and means “distinct, clear”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 楚

楚 has 13 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 楚, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 楚 is made of

On top, two 木 “trees”. In 清楚 it is read with the neutral tone: chu.

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

Words with 楚

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 楚?

楚 has 13 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 楚 mean?

楚 means “distinct, clear”. It appears in 清楚 (“clear”).

How do you pronounce 楚?

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

How many strokes does 楚 have?

13 strokes.

← 清 clear讲 tell →

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 楚 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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