Hanzi Writer

How to Write 须 (xū) — Meaning “must; beard; mustache”

xū HSK Level 2 9 strokes Radical: 彡

须 (xū) means "must; beard; mustache" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 彡, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 3.5/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 70% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 必须 (bì xū), 须知 (xū zhī), 胡须 (hú xū).

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

Stroke order practice for 须 - xū

Practice Writing 须 (xū)

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How to Write 须

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

须 means must; beard; mustache.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 须 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character须
Pinyinxū (xu)
Meaningmust; beard; mustache
Strokes9
Radical彡
HSK Level2
Difficulty3.5/5

Origin of 须

In the ancient form, 须 combines 彡 (bristle/hair) with 頁 (head), depicting hair on the face or chin, hence 'beard'. Over time, the meaning extended to 'must' as a grammatical necessity, possibly from the idea of what is required (like the need for a beard?).

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a head (页) with three long hairs (彡) sprouting from the chin, forming a beard you must trim.

Common Words with 须

必须 bì xū
must; have to
须知 xū zhī
Notice / Guidelines
胡须 hú xū
Beard; mustache; facial hair

Example Sentences

你必须准时参加会议。

nǐ bì xū zhǔn shí cān jiā huì yì

You must attend the meeting on time.

请阅读考试须知。

qǐng yuè dú kǎo shì xū zhī

Please read the exam instructions.

他的胡须很长。

tā de hú xū hěn zhǎng

His beard is very long.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
须 (current) xū 9 彡
形 xíng 7 彡
彤 tóng 7 彡
彦 yàn 9 彡
Stroke order practice for 须 - xū

Practice Writing 须 (xū)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 须

The left component 彡 (three strokes) originally represents hair or bristles, and the right component 页 means 'head'. Together, they depict hair on the face, giving the original meaning 'beard'. Later, the character was borrowed to mean 'must' due to sound similarity.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

啊a/ā/á/ǎ/à情qíng安ān静jìng全quán色sè/shǎi长cháng/zhǎng办bàn法fǎ公gōng室shì夜yè助zhù饱bǎo报bào纸zhǐ背bēi/bèi如rú笔bǐ必bì

Characters with Radical 彡

㐱zhěn彡shān形xíng彤tóng彦yàn彧yù彩cǎi彪biāo彬bīn彭péng

Other 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ