袖 (xiù) is a Chinese character meaning “sleeve”. It is written from 衤 (clothing (left-side form)) and 由 (from; by way of; cause), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “sleeve”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
衤 + 由
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 构形核验：现代字形拆分 ⿰衤由，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画 0–4 为「衤」（radStrokes），5–9 与「由」逐笔对应（5+5=10 画）
Memory aid
The clothing radical 衤 on the left, and 由 (from) on the right: the part of your clothes that your arm comes out from — the sleeve.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 袖子xiù zisleeve袖 = xiù
- 领袖lǐng xiùleader (of a nation, movement, etc.)袖 = xiù
Go deeper
All readings
sleeve
sleeve; to tuck inside one’s sleeve
衣服上套住胳膊的部分；也指把东西藏在袖子里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 袖子xiù zisleeve袖 = xiù
- 领袖lǐng xiùleader (of a nation, movement, etc.)袖 = xiù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 袖 mean?
袖 (xiù) means sleeve; to tuck inside one’s sleeve.
How do you pronounce 袖?
It is pronounced xiù.
What parts is 袖 made of?
衤 (clothing (left-side form)) and 由 (from; by way of; cause), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 构形核验：现代字形拆分 ⿰衤由，对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺：笔画 0–4 为「衤」（radStrokes），5–9 与「由」逐笔对应（5+5=10 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 袖 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 袖?
衣. 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 袖?
Common ones are 袖子 and 领袖. The reading of 袖 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.