绣 (xiù) is a Chinese character meaning “to embroider”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 秀 (outstanding; to put forth ears (of grain)), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to embroider”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
纟 + 秀
Left–right structure
- 纟 silk; thread (left-side form) · sī meaning
- 秀 outstanding; to put forth ears (of grain) · xiù sound
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：10 画 = 纟 3 画（笔画 0–2）+ 秀 7 画（笔画 3–9）；部首取康熙 120 糸部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（秀 xiù / 绣 xiù：声韵调完全相同）
Memory aid
Silk thread (纟) stitched into something outstanding (秀) — that is embroidery. Both parts really are in this character, and 秀 also gives the sound xiù.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 刺绣cì xiùembroidery; to embroider绣 = xiù
- 绣花xiù huāto embroider (a pattern); embroidered绣 = xiù
Go deeper
All readings
to embroider
to embroider; embroidery; embroidered work
用彩色丝线在布、绸等上面刺出花纹、图案或文字；也指这样做成的作品。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刺绣cì xiùembroidery; to embroider绣 = xiù
- 绣花xiù huāto embroider (a pattern); embroidered绣 = xiù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 绣 mean?
绣 (xiù) means to embroider; embroidery; embroidered work.
How do you pronounce 绣?
It is pronounced xiù.
What parts is 绣 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 秀 (outstanding; to put forth ears (of grain)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：10 画 = 纟 3 画（笔画 0–2）+ 秀 7 画（笔画 3–9）；部首取康熙 120 糸部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（秀 xiù / 绣 xiù：声韵调完全相同）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 绣 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 绣?
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 绣?
Common ones are 刺绣 and 绣花. The reading of 绣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.