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旭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
旭xùthe rising sun; brilliant, radiantnr, 6 strokes, radical 日, rank #15184, Very Hard
旭xùdawnunknown, 6 strokes, radical 日, rank #15184, Very Hard
旭xùrising sununknown, 6 strokes, radical 日, rank #15184, Very Hard
xù(xu4) T4
  1. 1the rising sun; brilliant, radiant
  2. 2dawn
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

旭xù(xu4)

The character 旭 (xù) refers to the rising sun, symbolizing brightness and the start of a new day. It conveys a sense of hope and renewal, often used in poetic or formal contexts, such as literature or greetings. In modern usage, it can also denote brilliance or radiance in various aspects of life, such as achievements or talents.

Strokes6Radical日Frequency#15184DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the rising sun symbolizes new beginnings and is often associated with auspiciousness. The image of 旭 is commonly used in art and poetry to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, particularly in the context of the Lunar New Year.

Memory Tip

Imagine the sun (日) rising (旭) over a beautiful landscape, casting its brilliant rays. The character's left side (日) represents the sun, while the right side adds a sense of upward movement, like the sun rising higher in the sky. Remembering 'rising sun' can help you recall the pronunciation 'xù'.

Meanings of 旭

xù(xu4)
1the rising sun; brilliant, radiant
2dawn
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 旭

旭Simplified
6Strokes
日Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 旭

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Podcast: 旭

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 旭

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 旭 with similar characters like 昇 (shēng, to rise) or 朝 (zhāo, morning). It is typically used in more formal contexts, so be mindful of the tone when using it in casual conversation. Common collocations include 旭日 (xù rì, rising sun) and 旭光 (xù guāng, the light of the rising sun).

HSK Study Tips

Though not part of the HSK vocabulary, 旭 is a good example for learners at HSK Level 4 or above as it connects to concepts of light and time. Focus on recognizing its components and understanding its symbolic meanings in literature.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is misusing 旭 in contexts related to general rising or elevation; for example, saying 旭水 (xù shuǐ, rising water) instead of using 昇 (shēng) for 'to rise'. Another mistake is confusing it with other time-related characters like 朝 (zhāo) for 'morning'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 旭

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Etymology of 旭

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sun

Semantic (meaning)日
+
Phonetic (sound)九
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 旭

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half日 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half九 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysun
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 旭? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 旭?

Decomposition of 旭

IDS Structure⿺九日
旭Full Character
=
九jiu3
enclosing
日Ri4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 旭?

How to say the rising sun; brilliant, radiant in Chinese

“the rising sun; brilliant, radiant” in Chinese is旭xù

The character 旭 (xù) refers to the rising sun, symbolizing brightness and the start of a new day. It conveys a sense of hope and renewal, often used in poetic or formal contexts, such as literature or greetings. In modern usage, it can also denote brilliance or radiance in various aspects of life, such as achievements or talents.

When to use 旭

Learners often confuse 旭 with similar characters like 昇 (shēng, to rise) or 朝 (zhāo, morning). It is typically used in more formal contexts, so be mindful of the tone when using it in casual conversation. Common collocations include 旭日 (xù rì, rising sun) and 旭光 (xù guāng, the light of the rising sun).

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is misusing 旭 in contexts related to general rising or elevation; for example, saying 旭水 (xù shuǐ, rising water) instead of using 昇 (shēng) for 'to rise'. Another mistake is confusing it with other time-related characters like 朝 (zhāo) for 'morning'.

Write 旭

旭

Practice writing 旭 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 旭

Words Containing This Character4
旭xùdawn
旭日xùrìthe rising sun
张旭Zhang Xu (probably early 8th century), Tang dynasty poet and calligrapher, most famous for his grass script 草書|草书張旭
林旭Lin Xu (1875-1898), one of the Six Gentlemen Martyrs 戊戌六君子[Wù​xū​Liù​jūn​zi] of the unsuccessful reform movement of 1898
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 旭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 旭

It is pronounced as 'xù', with a falling tone.

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