How to Write 叟 (sǒu) — Meaning “old man”

Q: What is a good memory technique to remember 叟?

Imagine an old man (叟) with a walking stick — the top strokes look like a bent figure leaning forward. The bottom part 白 can remind you of his white hair, so think "white-haired old man with a stick."

Q: How should I write 叟 correctly, and what common mistakes should I avoid?

Write the top part (又) first with a left-falling stroke, then the horizontal and left-falling strokes of 白, and finish with the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the 白 component too tall or forgetting that the left-falling stroke of 又 should reach down to cover the 白.

Q: What common words use 叟?

Common words containing 叟 include: 老叟 (lǎo sǒu) — old man; 童叟无欺 (tóng sǒu wú qī) — Honest with all customers; fair trade; 渔叟 (yú sǒu) — Old fisherman..

sǒu 9 strokes Radical: 又

叟 (sǒu) means "old man" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 又.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Appears in 3+ common words including 老叟 (lǎo sǒu), 童叟无欺 (tóng sǒu wú qī), 渔叟 (yú sǒu).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 叟 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 叟 (sǒu)

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

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How to Write 叟

The character 叟 (sǒu) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 又 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 sǒu (叟) Mean in Chinese?

叟 means old man.

Character Data

Character	叟
Pinyin	sǒu (sou)
Meaning	old man
Strokes	9
Radical	又
Difficulty	3.7/5

Origin of 叟

叟 combines 臼 (mortar) and 又 (hand), originally depicting an elderly person's hand holding a mortar for pounding grain, a common domestic task associated with old age. Over time, it came to mean 'old man' generically.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture the top 臼 as the wrinkled face of an old man, and the bottom 又 as his hand gripping a walking stick.

Common Words with 叟

老叟 lǎo sǒu

old man

童叟无欺 tóng sǒu wú qī

Honest with all customers; fair trade

渔叟 yú sǒu

Old fisherman.

Example Sentences

一位老叟在湖边钓鱼。

yī wèi lǎo sǒu zài hú biān diào yú

An old man is fishing by the lake.

这家店做生意童叟无欺。

zhè jiā diàn zuò shēng yì tóng sǒu wú qī

This shop treats all customers fairly and honestly.

江边坐着一位渔叟。

jiāng biān zuò zhe yī wèi yú sǒu

An old fisherman is sitting by the river.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
叟 (current)	sǒu	9	又
叔	shū	8	又
叕	zhuó	8	又
取	qǔ	8	又

Practice Writing 叟 (sǒu)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 叟

What are the components of 叟 and how do they relate to its meaning?

叟 consists of the radical 又 (hand) on top and the character 白 (white) below, but the combination is not directly literal. Historically, the upper part may represent a hand holding something, and the overall shape suggests an elderly person with white hair, hence the meaning "old man."

What is a good memory technique to remember 叟?

How should I write 叟 correctly, and what common mistakes should I avoid?

How is 叟 different from similar characters like 叔 and 叕?

When and how is 叟 used in modern Chinese, and are there cultural notes?

What common words use 叟?

How to Write 叟 (sǒu) — Meaning “old man”

Practice Writing 叟 (sǒu)

How to Write 叟

What Does sǒu (叟) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 叟

Common Words with 叟

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 叟 (sǒu)

Frequently Asked Questions about 叟

Characters with Radical 又

Other 9-Stroke Characters