纽 (niǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “button”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 丑 (ugly; clown), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “button; knot”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 丑
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（紐，系也。从糸丑聲）
Memory aid
A silk thread (纟) pulled tight around 丑 and looped back — the little knot you push through a buttonhole.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 纽扣niǔ kòubutton (on clothing)纽 = niǔ
- 纽约niǔ yuēNew York纽 = niǔ
- 枢纽shū niǔhub; pivot; key link纽 = niǔ
Go deeper
All readings
button; knot
button; knot; handle or knob; a link that ties two things together
衣服上的扣子；可以解开的结。也指器物上便于提起或转动的小把手，引申为联结两方的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 纽扣niǔ kòubutton (on clothing)纽 = niǔ
- 纽约niǔ yuēNew York纽 = niǔ
- 枢纽shū niǔhub; pivot; key link纽 = niǔ
Sound component
丑 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 纽 mean?
纽 (niǔ) means button; knot; handle or knob; a link that ties two things together.
How do you pronounce 纽?
It is pronounced niǔ.
What parts is 纽 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 丑 (ugly; clown), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（紐，系也。从糸丑聲）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 纽 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 纽?
糸. 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 纽?
Common ones are 纽扣 and 纽约. The reading of 纽 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.