恕 (shù) is a Chinese character meaning “to forgive”. It is written from 如 (like; as if; according to) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to forgive”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
如 + 心
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字·心部（恕，仁也。从心如聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：10 画 = 如 6 画 + 心 4 画
Memory aid
To forgive, feel as if (如) you had the other person’s heart (心) — put yourself in their place, and the grudge softens.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 宽恕kuān shùto forgive; forgiveness恕 = shù
- 饶恕ráo shùto pardon; to spare (from punishment)恕 = shù
Go deeper
All readings
to forgive
to forgive; to excuse; to pardon; (polite) please excuse me
原谅，宽容别人的过错；也用作客套话，表示请对方不要计较。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 宽恕kuān shùto forgive; forgiveness恕 = shù
- 饶恕ráo shùto pardon; to spare (from punishment)恕 = shù
Sound component
如 family
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 恕 mean?
恕 (shù) means to forgive; to excuse; to pardon; (polite) please excuse me.
How do you pronounce 恕?
It is pronounced shù.
What parts is 恕 made of?
如 (like; as if; according to) and 心 (heart; mind), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·心部（恕，仁也。从心如聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：10 画 = 如 6 画 + 心 4 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 恕 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 恕?
心. 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 恕?
Common ones are 宽恕 and 饶恕. The reading of 恕 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.