束 (shù) is a Chinese character meaning “to bind”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 口 (mouth), and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to tie into a bundle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 口
Overlapping structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：木＝第1、5、6、7笔，口＝第2、3、4笔）
Memory aid
A tree (木) with a band (口) cinched around its middle. Both parts are really in this character — something tied up into a bundle.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 结束jié shùto end; to finish; to conclude束 = shùHSK 3
- 花束huā shùbouquet; bunch of flowers束 = shù
- 拘束jū shùconstrained; ill at ease; to restrict束 = shù
Go deeper
All readings
to bind; a bundle
to bind; to tie up; a bundle or bunch (of flowers, light); to restrain, to bring to a close
捆住、扎起来；捆成的一把（如一束花）；引申为约束、结束。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 结束jié shùto end; to finish; to conclude束 = shùHSK 3
- 花束huā shùbouquet; bunch of flowers束 = shù
- 拘束jū shùconstrained; ill at ease; to restrict束 = shù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 束 mean?
束 (shù) means to bind; to tie up; a bundle or bunch (of flowers, light); to restrain, to bring to a close.
How do you pronounce 束?
It is pronounced shù.
What parts is 束 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 口 (mouth). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：木＝第1、5、6、7笔，口＝第2、3、4笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 束 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 束?
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 束?
Common ones are 结束 and 花束. The reading of 束 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.