How to Write 靴 (xuē) — Meaning “Boots”

Imagine that leather (革) goes through a magical change (化) and turns into boots. So you can remember: "Leather changes into boots" — 革 + 化 = 靴.

Write the left radical 革 first (9 strokes), then the right side 化 (4 strokes). Be careful not to confuse the left side of 化 (亻, person radical) with a simple 人 — the vertical stroke of 亻 is straight while 人 has a slanted stroke. Also keep the left and right parts balanced; 革 is slightly taller than 化.

All three share the radical 革, but 靴 has 化 on the right and means "boots"; 靳 has 斤 and is a surname or means "stingy"; 靶 has 巴 and means "target". Visually, look at the right part: 化 (靴), 斤 (靳), 巴 (靶) — each is completely different.

You will most often see 靴 in the word 靴子 (xuē zi), which means "boots" in daily life. It also appears in 雨靴 (rain boots) and 皮靴 (leather boots). In Chinese culture, boots are commonly worn in winter for warmth or as fashion items, especially in colder northern regions.

Common words containing 靴 include: 靴子 (xuē zi) — Boots; 雨靴 (yǔ xuē) — rain boots; 皮靴 (pí xuē) — leather boots.