受 (shòu) is a Chinese character meaning “to receive”. It is written from 爫 (claw; a hand reaching down from above) and 冖 (cover) and 又 (again), and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to receive”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
爫 + 冖 + 又
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS decomposition of the modern glyph (⿳爫冖又), cross-checked against hanzi-writer stroke data (4+2+2=8)
Memory aid
A hand reaches down from above (爫) and passes something over the cover (冖) to the hand waiting below (又). The lower hand receives it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 接受jiē shòuto accept受 = shòu
- 受伤shòu shāngto be injured受 = shòu
- 忍受rěn shòuto endure; to bear; to put up with受 = shòuHSK 5
- 享受xiǎng shòuto enjoy; enjoyment受 = shòu
- 受挫shòu cuòto suffer a setback受 = shòu
- 受贿shòu huìto accept bribes受 = shòu
Go deeper
All readings
to receive
to receive; to accept; to be subjected to; to suffer (an injury or loss)
接过别人给予的东西；也表示遭到、承受某种影响。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 接受jiē shòuto accept受 = shòu
- 受伤shòu shāngto be injured受 = shòu
- 忍受rěn shòuto endure; to bear; to put up with受 = shòuHSK 5
- 享受xiǎng shòuto enjoy; enjoyment受 = shòu
- 受挫shòu cuòto suffer a setback受 = shòu
- 受贿shòu huìto accept bribes受 = shòu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 受 mean?
受 (shòu) means to receive; to accept; to be subjected to; to suffer (an injury or loss).
How do you pronounce 受?
It is pronounced shòu.
What parts is 受 made of?
爫 (claw; a hand reaching down from above) and 冖 (cover) and 又 (again). The recorded source is: IDS decomposition of the modern glyph (⿳爫冖又), cross-checked against hanzi-writer stroke data (4+2+2=8). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 受 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 受?
又. 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 受?
Common ones are 接受 and 受伤. The reading of 受 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.