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How to Write 审 (shěn) — Meaning “To examine; to investigate; to judge.”

shěn HSK Level 6 8 strokes Radical: 宀

审 (shěn) means "To examine; to investigate; to judge." in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 宀, and is HSK Level 6.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 26% of HSK Level 6 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 审查 (shěn chá), 审美 (shěn měi), 审判 (shěn pàn).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 审 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 审 - shěn

Practice Writing 审 (shěn)

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How to Write 审

The character 审 (shěn) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 宀 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does shěn (审) Mean in Chinese?

审 means To examine; to investigate; to judge..

As an HSK Level 6 character, 审 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character审
Pinyinshěn (shen)
MeaningTo examine; to investigate; to judge.
Strokes8
Radical宀
HSK Level6
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 审

The character 审 combines the radical 宀 (roof) with 申 (to extend), which also provides the pronunciation. Originally, it depicted a person carefully examining or judging a matter under a roof, as in a courtroom or deliberation hall. Over time, 申 became a phonetic component while the roof radical anchors the meaning of a controlled, enclosed space for investigation.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a judge under a roof (宀) extending (申) a magnifying glass over a document to examine it closely.

Common Words with 审

审查 shěn chá
To examine; to inspect; to censor.
审美 shěn měi
Aesthetics; appreciation of beauty.
审判 shěn pàn
Trial; to bring to trial.

Example Sentences

老师在审查作业。

lǎo shī zài shěn chá zuò yè

The teacher is reviewing the homework.

他的审美很好。

tā de shěn měi hěn hǎo

He has very good taste.

法官正在进行审判。

fǎ guān zhèng zài jìn xíng shěn pàn

The judge is conducting a trial.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
审 (current) shěn 8 宀
宅 zhái 6 宀
宇 yǔ 6 宀
守 shǒu 6 宀
Stroke order practice for 审 - shěn

Practice Writing 审 (shěn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 审 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 审

审 is composed of the radical 宀 (roof) on top and 申 (to extend or explain) below. Together, they suggest a place of authority (roof) where matters are explained and judged, so the character means to examine or judge.

More HSK Level 6 Characters

挨āi/ái罢bà傍bàng刊kān歉qiàn暴bào露lòu/lù爆bào炸zhá/zhà惨cǎn奔bēn/bèn逼bī缘yuán扁biǎn/piān拨bō波bō捕bǔ纳nà踩cǎi残cán

Characters with Radical 宀

宁níng/nìng它tā宄guǐ宅zhái宇yǔ守shǒu安ān宋sòng完wán宏hóng

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng