How to Write 舍 (shě/shè) — Meaning “To give up; house”

Imagine a tongue (舌) saying 'she' (sound of 舍) as it decides to give up a delicious snack. The bottom part looks like a simple house shape, so picture the tongue leaving the house to abandon something. This visual connects both meanings in one image.

Write the top radical 舌 first with the horizontal stroke then the vertical stroke, ensuring the tongue part is compact. The bottom part is like a small '口' (mouth) with two strokes inside, but note it's not actually 口 — it's wider and flatter. A common mistake is making the top too big; the bottom should be about half the height of the whole character.

舌 (shé, tongue) is the top part of 舍 but lacks the bottom roof — it is just the tongue radical alone. 舐 (shì, to lick) adds a small stroke inside 舌 and has a completely different right side; its meaning relates to licking with the tongue. In contrast, 舍 always has two clear parts and can mean 'house' or 'give up,' never 'tongue' or 'lick.'

舍 is common in phrases like 舍弃 (abandon) and 舍得 (willing to give up), reflecting a value of letting go. It also appears in 宿舍 (dormitory) and other compound words for buildings, like 校舍 (school building). In Chinese culture, 'to give up' (舍) is often praised as a virtue in idioms such as 舍己为人 (sacrifice oneself for others).

Common words containing 舍 include: 舍弃 (shě qì) — to give up; to abandon; 舍得 (shě de) — to be willing to part with; 宿舍 (sù shè) — dormitory.