How to Write 出 (chū) — Meaning “To go out; to exit; to produce”

Picture two mountains (山) on top of each other. To "go out" (出), you have to climb over both mountains. Another trick is to see the shape as a person walking out of a U-shaped pit.

The stroke order is: vertical fold, vertical, vertical, then vertical fold, vertical — forming two similar stacked parts. A common mistake is making the top and bottom parts too wide or uneven; keep them aligned vertically and the middle strokes straight.

出 has two stacked mountain shapes, giving it a tall rectangular look. 凶 (xiōng, fierce) has a cross (乂) inside a U-shaped box, and 凸 (tū, convex) has a single protruding bump on top. Pay attention to the internal details and overall height.

出 is very common in words like 出去 (to go out), 出口 (exit), and 出发 (to set out). It expresses movement outward or production, and in Chinese culture, it appears in idioms such as 出口成章 (speaking eloquently), showing its link to expressing ideas.

Common words containing 出 include: 出去 (chū qù) — to go out; 出口 (chū kǒu) — exit; 出发 (chū fā) — to set out.