兽 (shòu) is a Chinese character meaning “beast”. It is written from 𬎿 (top block of 兽: 丷 above 田 (7 strokes)) and 一 (one) and 口 (mouth), and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “beast”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𬎿 + 一 + 口
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: cjkvi-ids (build-time IDS ⿳𬎿一口), verified stroke-by-stroke against hanzi-writer-data
Memory aid
A big-headed creature on top (𬎿), one long line of ground (一) under it, and an open mouth (口) at the bottom, roaring — a wild beast.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 野兽yě shòuwild animal; wild beast兽 = shòu
- 兽医shòu yīveterinarian; vet兽 = shòu
Go deeper
All readings
beast
beast; wild animal; bestial, brutish
野兽，一般指有四条腿、全身长毛的动物；也比喻野蛮、残暴。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 野兽yě shòuwild animal; wild beast兽 = shòu
- 兽医shòu yīveterinarian; vet兽 = shòu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 兽 mean?
兽 (shòu) means beast; wild animal; bestial, brutish.
How do you pronounce 兽?
It is pronounced shòu.
What parts is 兽 made of?
𬎿 (top block of 兽: 丷 above 田 (7 strokes)) and 一 (one) and 口 (mouth). The recorded source is: cjkvi-ids (build-time IDS ⿳𬎿一口), verified stroke-by-stroke against hanzi-writer-data. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 兽 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 兽?
八. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 兽?
Common ones are 野兽 and 兽医. The reading of 兽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.