守 (shǒu) is a Chinese character meaning “to guard”. It is written from 宀 (roof) and 寸 (cun; inch), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to guard; to keep watch”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
宀 + 寸
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS ⿱宀寸（现代字形拆分），已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+3=6）
Memory aid
A roof (宀) with an inch (寸) held underneath it. You stay under the roof and give up not one inch — that is what it means to guard something.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 守卫shǒu wèito guard; to defend; a guard守 = shǒu
- 守门shǒu ménto keep watch at a door; to keep goal守 = shǒu
- 守护shǒu hùto guard; to watch over守 = shǒu
- 扼守è shǒuto guard a strategic point; to hold (a pass)守 = shǒu
- 守株待兔shǒu zhū dài tùto wait by a tree stump for a hare to run into it; to wait for luck instead of working守 = shǒu
Go deeper
All readings
to guard; to keep watch
to guard; to defend; to keep watch over; to abide by (a rule or promise)
看护、防卫；也指遵照规则或约定不违背。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 守卫shǒu wèito guard; to defend; a guard守 = shǒu
- 守门shǒu ménto keep watch at a door; to keep goal守 = shǒu
- 守护shǒu hùto guard; to watch over守 = shǒu
- 扼守è shǒuto guard a strategic point; to hold (a pass)守 = shǒu
- 守株待兔shǒu zhū dài tùto wait by a tree stump for a hare to run into it; to wait for luck instead of working守 = shǒu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 守 mean?
守 (shǒu) means to guard; to defend; to keep watch over; to abide by (a rule or promise).
How do you pronounce 守?
It is pronounced shǒu.
What parts is 守 made of?
宀 (roof) and 寸 (cun; inch), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS ⿱宀寸（现代字形拆分），已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数核验（3+3=6）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 守 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 守?
宀. 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 守?
Common ones are 守卫 and 守门. The reading of 守 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.