Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
藇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
藇xùfine, beautiful; surnamex, 17 strokes, radical 艹
藇xùsurname Xuunknown, 17 strokes, radical 艹
xù(Xu4) T4
  1. 1fine, beautiful; surname
Also a Chinese surname, Xu — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

藇xù(Xu4)

The character 藇 (xù) primarily refers to something fine or beautiful, often used to describe delicate qualities in art or nature. It can also be a surname in Chinese culture. Despite its relatively uncommon usage, it's important for learners to understand its nuances in describing aesthetic qualities.

Strokes17Radical艹
Cultural Note

The character 藇, while not frequently encountered, reflects the Chinese cultural appreciation for beauty in nature and art, which are often intertwined. This respect for aesthetic qualities is prevalent in Chinese poetry and painting, where fine details are celebrated.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful flower (representing beauty) growing among fine, delicate grasses. The top part of the character 藇 resembles a flower, while the bottom part suggests the earth or grass, connecting beauty to nature. The pronunciation 'xù' can be remembered by associating it with 'sue' in English, as in 'sue for beauty'.

Meanings of 藇

xù(Xu4)
1fine, beautiful; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 藇

藇Simplified
17Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 藇

JasonAmy

Podcast: 藇

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 藇

Usage Notes

Learners should note that 藇 is rarely used in everyday conversation and is more common in literary contexts. Mixing it up with more common synonyms for beauty (like 美) can lead to confusion. It's important to use it in the right context, particularly when discussing art or aesthetics.

HSK Study Tips

Although 藇 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding this character can deepen your appreciation for descriptive language at higher levels. Focus on the aesthetic aspects of vocabulary as you progress, and consider how this word relates to other terms of beauty and art.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 藇 with similar characters like 美 (měi) or 细 (xì), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '这件衣服很美' (zhè jiàn yīfú hěn měi) instead of '这件衣服很藇' (zhè jiàn yīfú hěn xù) improperly attributes the quality of beauty without the nuance that 藇 offers.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 藇

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 藇 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 藇

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

grass

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 藇

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half與 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 藇? 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 藇?

Decomposition of 藇

IDS Structure⿱艹與
藇Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
與yu3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 藇?

How to say fine, beautiful; surname in Chinese

“fine, beautiful; surname” in Chinese is藇xù

The character 藇 (xù) primarily refers to something fine or beautiful, often used to describe delicate qualities in art or nature. It can also be a surname in Chinese culture. Despite its relatively uncommon usage, it's important for learners to understand its nuances in describing aesthetic qualities.

When to use 藇

Learners should note that 藇 is rarely used in everyday conversation and is more common in literary contexts. Mixing it up with more common synonyms for beauty (like 美) can lead to confusion. It's important to use it in the right context, particularly when discussing art or aesthetics.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 藇 with similar characters like 美 (měi) or 细 (xì), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '这件衣服很美' (zhè jiàn yīfú hěn měi) instead of '这件衣服很藇' (zhè jiàn yīfú hěn xù) improperly attributes the quality of beauty without the nuance that 藇 offers.

Write 藇

藇

Practice writing 藇 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 藇

Words Containing This Character1
藇xùsurname Xu
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 藇 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 藇

No, 藇 is more often found in literary contexts and is not commonly used in everyday speech.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 藇?

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.