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苏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
苏sū>啰苏[luō sū]j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sū>苏[sū]j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūto revivej, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūPerilla frutescens (Chinese basil or wild red basil)j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūplace namej, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūused as phonetic in transliterationj, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūold variant of 蘇j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūsurname Suj, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūabbr. for Soviet Union 蘇維埃j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sū>苏维埃 or 蘇聯j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sū>苏联j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūabbr. for Jiangsu province 江蘇j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sū>江苏j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūabbr. for Suzhou city 蘇州j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sū>苏州j, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūto awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterationsj, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūabbr. for Jiangsu province 江蘇|江苏unknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
苏sūabbr. for Suzhou city 蘇州|苏州unknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #4069, Hard
sū(su1) T1
  1. 1>啰苏[luō sū]
  2. 2>苏[sū]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
苏(囌)sū(su1)

The character 苏 (sū) primarily means 'to revive' or 'to awaken.' It is commonly used in contexts relating to renewal, such as reviving spirits or awakening something that has been dormant. Additionally, it serves as a surname and is an abbreviation for Jiangsu province and Suzhou city, linking it to geographical significance in China.

Strokes7Radical艹Frequency#4069DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

苏州 (Suzhou), a city associated with beautiful gardens and silk production, is a significant cultural site in China. The character 苏 in this context highlights the city's importance in Chinese history and culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person who just woke up from a long sleep and is stretching to revive themselves. The character 苏 has a radical that resembles a person, which connects to the idea of awakening. Think of 'sū' as the sound of someone stretching and saying 'soooo good to be awake!'

Meanings of 苏

sū(su1)
1to revive
2Perilla frutescens (Chinese basil or wild red basil)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 苏

苏Simplified
囌Traditional
7Strokes
艹Radical
简称abbreviation (abbr.)Part of Speech
#4069Frequency Rank

Podcast: 苏

JasonAmy

Podcast: 苏

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 苏

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person who just woke up from a long sleep and is stretching to revive themselves. The character 苏 has a radical that resembles a person, which connects to the idea of awakening. Think of 'sū' as the sound of someone stretching and saying 'soooo good to be awake!'

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 苏 with similar-sounding characters like 诉 (sù, to sue) or 蘇 (sū, the variant with a different meaning). It is used in both formal and informal settings, so learners should pay attention to context. Note that it often appears in geographical names, so collocations with place names are common.

HSK Study Tips

Though 苏 is not currently included in HSK levels, it connects to HSK Level 3 vocabulary related to daily life and geographical locations. Students should focus on its usage in context, particularly with place names and expressions of revival.

Cultural Note

苏州 (Suzhou), a city associated with beautiful gardens and silk production, is a significant cultural site in China. The character 苏 in this context highlights the city's importance in Chinese history and culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 苏 with its variant 蘇, which has different usage. For example, saying '我苏了' instead of '我醒了' (I woke up) can lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 苏

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Etymology of 苏

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

Simplified form of 蘇. Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 穌 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

plant

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)稣
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 苏?

Decomposition of 苏

IDS Structure⿱艹办
苏Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
办ban4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 苏?

Write 苏

苏

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 苏

苏 carries 18 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

渡船是____格兰边远地区的生命线。

Ferries are a lifeline to the far-flung corners of Scotland.

Example Sentences for 苏 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
渡船是苏格兰边远地区的生命线。

dù chuán shì sū gé lán biān yuǎn dì qū de shēng mìng xiàn。

Ferries are a lifeline to the far-flung corners of Scotland.
2
她告诉我们她是某苏格兰勋爵的后裔。

tā gào sù wǒ mén tā shì mǒu sū gé lán xūn jué de hòu yì。

She told us she was descended from some Scottish Lord.
3
这几乎就是苏格兰局势的翻版。

zhè jī hū jiù shì sū gé lán jú shì de fān bǎn。

This is almost the mirror image of the situation in Scotland.
4
这位30岁的苏格兰国脚因和边裁争执而被罚下场。

zhè wèi30 30 suì de sū gé lán guó jiǎo yīn hé biān cái zhēng zhí ér bèi fá xià。

The 30-year-old Scottish international was sent off for arguing with a linesman.
5
该三件套是苏富比艺术品拍卖会上的一件拍品。

gāi sān jiàn tào shì sū fù bǐ yì shù pǐn pāi mài huì shàng de yī jiàn pāi pǐn。

The trio are part of Sotheby's sale of Works of Art.
6
苏格兰队在国内最后一场热身赛的对手是波兰队。

sū gé lán duì zài guó nèi zuì hòu yī cháng rè shēn sài de duì shǒu shì bō lán duì。

Poland provide the opposition for the Scots' last warm-up match at home.
7
7.7万英亩的私人土地上有5座苏格兰最高的山峰。

7.7 7.7 wàn yīng mǔ de sī rén tǔ dì shàng5 yǒu 5 zuò sū gé lán zuì gāo de。

The 77,000-acre estate contains five of the highest peaks in Scotland.
8
他每年都会争取在苏格兰住几个月。

tā měi nián dū huì zhēng qǔ zài sū gé lán zhù jī gè yuè。

He tried to stay a few months every year in Scotland.
9
剧本吸收了三个苏格兰民间故事并把它们相互衔接起来。

jù běn xī shōu le sān gè sū gé lán mín jiān gù shì bìng bǎ tā mén xiāng hù xián jiē qǐ lái。

The play takes three Scottish tales and interlinks them.
10
苏珊是个非常聪明、有主见的女子。

sū shān shì gè fēi cháng cōng míng、 、 yǒu zhǔ jiàn de nǚ。

Susan'sa very bright and intelligent woman who knows her own mind.

Cultural Notes for 苏

🏮Cultural insight

苏州 (Suzhou), a city associated with beautiful gardens and silk production, is a significant cultural site in China. The character 苏 in this context highlights the city's importance in Chinese history and culture.

Word Family of 苏

Words Containing This Character20
苏sūplace name蘇
苏联Soviet Union, 1922-1991蘇聯
苏格兰Scotland蘇格蘭
江苏Jiangsu province (Kiangsu) in southeast China, abbr. 蘇|苏, capital Nanjing 南京江蘇
苏州Suzhou prefecture level city in Jiangsu蘇州
苏打soda (loanword)蘇打
复苏fùsūanabiosis復蘇
江苏省Jiangsu Province (Kiangsu) in southeast China, abbr. 蘇|苏[Sū], capital Nanjing 南京[Nán​jīng]江蘇省
苏珊Susan (name)蘇珊
苏丹Sudan蘇丹
苏醒sūxǐngto come to甦醒
苏菲Sophie (name)蘇菲
苏黎世Zurich, Switzerland蘇黎世
苏维埃Soviet (council)蘇維埃
前苏联former Soviet Union前蘇聯
密苏里Missouri密蘇里
明尼苏达Minnesota, USA明尼蘇達
流苏tassels流蘇
密苏里州Missouri密蘇里州
明尼苏达州Minnesota明尼蘇達州
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 苏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 苏

Yes, 苏 (sū) and 囉囌 (luōsū) are different. 苏 refers to revival and specific regions, while 囉囌 is often used in a context related to discussing something in a roundabout or convoluted way. The two can sometimes appear together in discussions about language and culture.