Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
姝 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
姝shūbeautiful, charming, gorgeous; pretty girlg, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #56974, Very Hard
姝shūpretty womanunknown, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #56974, Very Hard
shū(shu1) T1
  1. 1beautiful, charming, gorgeous; pretty girl
  2. 2pretty woman
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

姝shū(shu1)

The character 姝 (shū) denotes beauty, charm, and attractiveness, often used to describe a pretty girl or woman. It carries a positive connotation and is often found in literary contexts or formal discussions about beauty.

Strokes9Radical女Frequency#56974DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the appreciation of beauty is often celebrated in poetry and art, where the term 姝 is frequently used to describe idealized feminine beauty, reflecting traditional values of elegance and grace.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful woman (representing beauty) wearing a traditional dress, where the left part (女) signifies 'woman' and the right part (秀) hints at 'excellence' or 'beauty'. Together, they create the image of a beautiful and charming lady.

Meanings of 姝

shū(shu1)
1beautiful, charming, gorgeous; pretty girl
2pretty woman
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 姝

姝Simplified
9Strokes
女Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 姝

JasonAmy

Podcast: 姝

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 姝

Quick Contrast

姝 (shū) vs 美 (měi): use 姝 for a more literary or formal context, while 美 is more commonly used in everyday language.

Usage Notes

While 姝 is a beautiful term, it can sound overly formal in everyday conversations. It is commonly used in poetry or literature rather than casual dialogue. Be cautious with the tone; using it inappropriately might come off as insincere.

HSK Study Tips

Although 姝 isn't included in HSK levels, understanding it can enhance vocabulary related to beauty and aesthetics. It connects to terms like 美 (měi, beautiful) and 漂亮 (piàoliang, pretty), which could be beneficial for learners looking at descriptive language.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 姝 with 美 (měi) or 漂亮 (piàoliang), using them interchangeably in all contexts. For example, one might say 姝 to describe a sunset, which is incorrect; it's more suitable for women.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 姝

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 姝 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 姝

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)朱
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 姝

  1. 1The meaning half女 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half朱 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywoman
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 姝? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 姝?

Decomposition of 姝

IDS Structure⿰女朱
姝Full Character
=
女nü3
left
朱Zhu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 姝?

How to say beautiful, charming, gorgeous; pretty girl in Chinese

“beautiful, charming, gorgeous; pretty girl” in Chinese is姝shū

The character 姝 (shū) denotes beauty, charm, and attractiveness, often used to describe a pretty girl or woman. It carries a positive connotation and is often found in literary contexts or formal discussions about beauty.

When to use 姝

While 姝 is a beautiful term, it can sound overly formal in everyday conversations. It is commonly used in poetry or literature rather than casual dialogue. Be cautious with the tone; using it inappropriately might come off as insincere.

姝 or something close to it

姝 (shū) vs 美 (měi): use 姝 for a more literary or formal context, while 美 is more commonly used in everyday language.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 姝 with 美 (měi) or 漂亮 (piàoliang), using them interchangeably in all contexts. For example, one might say 姝 to describe a sunset, which is incorrect; it's more suitable for women.

Write 姝

姝

Practice writing 姝 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 姝

Words Containing This Character1
姝shūpretty woman
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 姝 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 姝

No, 姝 is more commonly found in literary or poetic contexts rather than in everyday speech.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 姝?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.