How to Write 稣 (sū) — Meaning “to revive; Jesus”

Think of the Bible story where Jesus fed a crowd with five loaves of bread (grain, 禾) and two fish (鱼). Combining these two elements forms 稣, which is used in the name 耶稣 (Jesus). This mnemonic connects the character's shape to a memorable miracle.

Pay attention to the right side: it is 鱼 (fish), not 更 (gèng) or another similar radical. The left side 禾 should be slightly narrower than the right side 鱼. Also, ensure the horizontal stroke at the bottom of 鱼 does not extend too far to the left, so the character stays balanced.

All three characters share the left radical 禾 (grain), but their right sides differ completely. 秸 has right side 吉 (jí) and means "straw," while 移 has right side 多 (duō) and means "to move." 稣 uses 鱼 (fish) and is almost exclusively found in religious terms like 耶稣 (Jesus).

In modern Chinese, 稣 appears mainly in Christian vocabulary, such as 耶稣 (Jesus), 耶稣教 (Protestantism or Christianity), and 耶稣像 (a statue of Jesus). It is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, so you will likely encounter it only in religious texts, church materials, or cultural discussions about Christianity.

Common words containing 稣 include: 耶稣 (yē sū) — Jesus; 耶稣教 (yē sū jiào) — Protestantism; Christianity; 耶稣像 (yē sū xiàng) — image of Jesus; statue of Jesus.