How to Write 恕 (shù) — Meaning “to forgive”

Imagine someone wrongs you, and you say 'So what?' — the top part 如 sounds like 'so' and looks like 'as' in meaning. Combine that with the bottom 心 (heart) to remember: 'So what? Use your heart to forgive.' This links the sound shù and the idea of letting go.

Write the left part of 如 first: 女 (3 strokes), then 口 (3 strokes), then finish the top section. Finally add the bottom 心 (4 strokes). A common mistake is making the bottom 心 too wide or misaligning its dots—keep it centered and ensure the left dot, middle hook, and right dot are balanced.

恕 has the radical 心 at the bottom, while 忝 (tiǎn) has a different top (夭 instead of 如) and means 'to disgrace', and 忞 (mín) looks like 文 over 心, meaning 'effort' or 'diligence'. Visually, 恕 has the 如 component clearly above 心, whereas 忝 has a top that looks like 天 with a slanted stroke, and 忞 has 文.

恕 is mostly used in formal or written contexts, often in the words 宽恕 (kuān shù, forgiveness) and 饶恕 (ráo shù, to pardon). Culturally, it reflects the Confucian value of 'forgiveness' as treating others the way you wish to be treated, so it appears in moral advice or apologies, like when saying '请恕' (qǐng shù) to politely ask for pardon.

Common words containing 恕 include: 宽恕 (kuān shù) — To forgive / Forgiveness; 饶恕 (ráo shù) — to forgive; to pardon; 请恕 (qǐng shù) — Please forgive me..