抒 (shū) is a Chinese character meaning “to pour out”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 予 (to give; to grant), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to express a feeling”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 予
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 抒，挹也。从手予聲
Memory aid
A hand (扌) that gives (予): 抒 is scooping what you feel out of yourself and handing it over in words.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 抒情shū qínglyrical; to express one's feelings抒 = shū
- 抒发shū fāto express; to give voice to (a feeling)抒 = shū
Go deeper
All readings
to express
to pour out; to express or give voice to (feelings, thoughts)
把心里的感情、想法表达出来；本义是舀出、汲取。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 抒情shū qínglyrical; to express one's feelings抒 = shū
- 抒发shū fāto express; to give voice to (a feeling)抒 = shū
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 抒 mean?
抒 (shū) means to pour out; to express or give voice to (feelings, thoughts).
How do you pronounce 抒?
It is pronounced shū.
What parts is 抒 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 予 (to give; to grant), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 抒，挹也。从手予聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 抒 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 抒?
手. 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 抒?
Common ones are 抒情 and 抒发. The reading of 抒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.