朽 (xiǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “rotten”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 丂 (obstructed breath (archaic); used as a sound component), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “rotten”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 丂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（㱙，腐也。从歺丂聲。朽，㱙或从木）
Memory aid
A tree (木) stands on the left — this is about wood. On the right, 丂 bends and sags like a plank that has given way. Wood that can no longer hold: 朽.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 不朽bù xiǔimmortal; everlasting; imperishable朽 = xiǔ
- 朽木xiǔ mùrotten wood; (figuratively) a hopeless case朽 = xiǔ
Go deeper
All readings
rotten
rotten; decayed; (of wood) to rot away; figuratively: worn out, past its prime
（木头等）腐烂、烂掉；也比喻衰老或失去作用。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 不朽bù xiǔimmortal; everlasting; imperishable朽 = xiǔ
- 朽木xiǔ mùrotten wood; (figuratively) a hopeless case朽 = xiǔ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 朽 mean?
朽 (xiǔ) means rotten; decayed; (of wood) to rot away; figuratively: worn out, past its prime.
How do you pronounce 朽?
It is pronounced xiǔ.
What parts is 朽 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 丂 (obstructed breath (archaic); used as a sound component), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（㱙，腐也。从歺丂聲。朽，㱙或从木）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 朽 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 朽?
木. 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 朽?
Common ones are 不朽 and 朽木. The reading of 朽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.