How to Write 书 (shū) — Meaning “Book”

Imagine the top horizontal line as a shelf, the vertical hook as the spine of a book, and the dot as the book's cover. This picture of a single book on a shelf helps you recall 书 means 'book'. You can also think of the dot as a bookmark sticking out.

Stroke order: first write the horizontal turn (横折) at the top left, then a middle horizontal stroke, then a vertical hook (竖钩) coming down from the middle, and finally a dot on the right side. A common mistake is forgetting the dot or placing it too far to the left. Make sure the vertical hook is straight and the dot sits near the middle of the hook.

书 has a horizontal turn (横折) at the top and a dot on the right, while 丩 is just a vertical line with a horizontal crossing (like a plus sign) and has no dot. 个 has a diagonal stroke (撇) on top and a vertical line below, and it is used as a measure word (e.g., 一个人). Remember: 书 always has that distinctive dot, making it unique.

书 is the common word for 'book' and appears in daily phrases like 看书 (read a book), 书店 (bookstore), and 书包 (schoolbag). In Chinese culture, books are highly valued—Confucius encouraged studying, and the idiom 书香门第 (literally 'book fragrance family') describes a scholarly household. Today, 电子书 (e-book) is also widely used.

Common words containing 书 include: 看书 (kàn shū) — to read a book; 书店 (shū diàn) — Bookstore; 书包 (shū bāo) — Schoolbag.