How to Write 肃 (sù) — Meaning “solemn; respectful; serious”

Picture a person standing very straight like the central vertical stroke, holding a brush (聿) with a serious expression. The pinyin 'sù' sounds like 'soo' as in 'so solemn'.

The character 肃 has 8 strokes. A common mistake is making the left part too wide; keep the left vertical stroke straight and the horizontal strokes evenly spaced. Pay attention to the final two strokes — a left slant and a right dot — which should be balanced at the bottom.

聿 (yù) means 'brush' and is rarely used alone, while 肃 (sù) means 'solemn' or 'serious' and appears in common words like 严肃. Visually, 聿 is simpler with fewer strokes, whereas 肃 has additional strokes around the radical.

肃 is used in formal contexts to describe a serious atmosphere or respectful behavior, such as in 严肃 (serious) and 肃静 (silence, often on signs in libraries or courts). Culturally, it carries a strong sense of reverence and is associated with ceremonies and quiet places.

Common words containing 肃 include: 严肃 (yán sù) — Serious / Solemn; 肃静 (sù jìng) — silence; quiet; 肃立 (sù lì) — to stand respectfully; to stand at attention.