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March 24, 2026
出chū(chu1)
The character 出 (chū) primarily means 'to go out' or 'to come out,' indicating movement from an enclosed space to the outside. It can also refer to the occurrence or production of something, such as an event or a work of art, with context determining its specific nuance. This character is frequently used in everyday conversation and is essential in various phrases and expressions.
Strokes5Radical凵Frequency#105DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of going out (出) can also signify social interaction and communal activities, such as going out for a meal or attending events. This reflects the importance of community and relationships in social life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a door swinging open (出) to let someone out. The character’s form resembles a person stepping out from a space, emphasizing movement. Think of 'chū' as 'chew'—when you chew something, you are bringing it out into the open!
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AI Study Notes for 出
Quick Contrast
出 (chū) vs 进 (jìn): Use 出 when indicating movement towards the outside, while 进 is for movement towards the inside.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a door swinging open (出) to let someone out. The character’s form resembles a person stepping out from a space, emphasizing movement. Think of 'chū' as 'chew'—when you chew something, you are bringing it out into the open!
Usage Notes
出 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of how you pair it with other verbs. A common mistake is to confuse it with 来 (lái), which means 'to come'—remember that 出 implies leaving a place. Additionally, learners should pay attention to its use as a classifier for plays or chapters in literature.
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 2, 出 is a frequent word that connects to many other verbs and actions. Focus on using it in phrases such as 出去 (chūqù - to go out) and 出发 (chūfā - to set out), as these are practical in daily conversations.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of going out (出) can also signify social interaction and communal activities, such as going out for a meal or attending events. This reflects the importance of community and relationships in social life.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly combine 出 with the wrong prepositions or verbs, such as saying '出我' instead of '我出去' (Wǒ chūqù - I go out). It's important to remember the correct structure in sentences.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 出
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Grammar Patterns of 出
出 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Captain Cook safely navigated his ship without accident for 100 voyages.
11
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
12
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
13
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
14
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
15
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
16
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
17
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
18
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
19
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
20
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
21
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
22
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
23
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
24
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
25
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
26
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
27
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
28
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
29
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
30
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
31
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
32
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
33
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
34
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
35
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
36
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
37
他每个周末都出门去看电影。
Tā měi gè zhōumò dōu chūmén qù kàn diànyǐng.
He goes out to watch movies every weekend.
38
我们打算下午出门买东西。
Wǒmen dǎsuàn xiàwǔ chūmén mǎi dōngxi.
We plan to go out to shop in the afternoon.
39
你出门之前记得带钥匙。
Nǐ chūmén zhīqián jìde dài yàoshi.
Remember to take your keys before you go out.
40
我们下午三点出家去商店。
Wǒmen xiàwǔ sān diǎn chū jiā qù shāngdiàn.
We go out to the store at three in the afternoon.
41
妈妈叫我快点出家门。
māma jiào wǒ kuài diǎn chū jiā mén.
Mom told me to go out of the house quickly.
42
今天下午我和朋友一起出门购物。
jīntiān xiàwǔ wǒ hé péngyou yīqǐ chūmén gòuwù.
This afternoon, my friend and I are going out to shop.
43
他们出酒店去吃晚饭了。
tāmen chū jiǔdiàn qù chī wǎnfàn le.
They went out of the hotel to have dinner.
44
我每天都出门跑步。
wǒ měitiān dōu chūmén pǎobù.
I go out for a run every day.
Cultural Notes for 出
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of going out (出) can also signify social interaction and communal activities, such as going out for a meal or attending events. This reflects the importance of community and relationships in social life.
Word Family of 出
Compounds29
屈Qu1surname Qu
础chu3foundation
祟sui4evil spirit; evil influence
拙zhuo1awkward
咄duo1a cry of anger
茁zhuo2to sprout, to flourish; vigorous, healthy
绌chu4to stitch, to sew; insufficient
黜chu4to dismiss; to downgrade, to demote
朏
柮
窋
粜tiao4to sell grain
诎qu1to stutter, to exhaust; to crouch, to bend
昢
欪
泏
炪
笜
絀chu4to stitch, to sew; insufficient
聉
胐
袦
詘
貀
趉
鈯
韷
飿
饳
Words Containing This Character20
出chūto go out
出来chūláito come out出來
出现chūxiànto appear出現
出去chūqùto go out
提出tíchūto propose
指出zhǐchūto indicate
出口chūkǒuan exit
演出yǎnchūto perform
出发chūfāto set off出發
出色chūsèremarkable
推出tuīchūto push out
发出fāchūto send out發出
出生chūshēngto be born
付出fùchūto pay
出席chūxíto attend
突出tūchūprominent
出租车chūzūchētaxi出租車
做出to put out
退出tuìchūto withdraw
出版chūbǎnto publish
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 屈 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 出
Common phrases with 出 include '出去' (chūqù), meaning 'to go out', and '出现' (chūxiàn), which means 'to appear'. Understanding these phrases can enhance your conversational skills in Chinese.
Yes, 出 is used in several idiomatic expressions such as '出人意料' (chū rén yìliào), which means 'to be unexpected or surprising'. Learning these idioms can help you sound more fluent in Chinese.
出 (chū) means 'to go out', 'to come out', 'to occur', 'to produce', 'to go beyond', and 'to rise'. It is a versatile character commonly used in various contexts.
出 can be used in a variety of contexts. For example, you can say '我出门了' (Wǒ chūmén le) which means 'I have gone out'. It can also be used in phrases like '出问题' (chū wèntí), meaning 'to have a problem' or 'to occur problems'.
You can use 出 in sentences like '我想出去' (Wǒ xiǎng chūqù - I want to go out).
Yes, 出 can mean 'to go out,' 'to occur,' or 'to produce,' depending on the context.
Yes, 出 is a very common character used in everyday conversation and writing.