How to Write 属 (shǔ) — Meaning “to belong to; category; zodiac sign”

Imagine a body (尸) lying under a heavy metal object (like a metal bar from 禹) to remember that 属 means "to belong" or "metal" as in 金属. Alternatively, think of "shǔ" as in "shoo" — shooing something back to its proper category.

Write the radical 尸 first:横折 (horizontal hook), then left-falling stroke (撇), then horizontal. Next write the top part of 禹 with the short left-falling stroke, then the left vertical stroke, then the right vertical, and finally the inner 内 part. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide — keep it balanced under the radical.

属 (shǔ) means "to belong" or "category," while 屐 (jī) is a rare character meaning wooden shoes. 屑 (xiè) means "bits" or "scraps" and has a different pronunciation and meaning. Visually, 属 has the phonetic component 禹, while 屐 has 支 (branches) and 屑 has 肖 (resemble), so focus on the lower part to tell them apart.

属 is commonly used in 属于 (shǔ yú) meaning "belong to," 金属 (jīn shǔ) meaning "metal," and 亲属 (qīn shǔ) meaning "relatives." In Chinese zodiac culture, when someone asks "你属什么?" (Nǐ shǔ shénme?), they are asking your zodiac animal sign, a very common cultural question.

Common words containing 属 include: 属于 (shǔ yú) — to belong to; to be part of; 金属 (jīn shǔ) — Metal; 亲属 (qīn shǔ) — relatives; kin.