Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
疏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
shūto dredgeHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūto clear away obstructionHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūthinHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūsparseHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūscantyHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūdistant (relation)HSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūnot closeHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūto neglectHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūnegligentHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūto present a memorial to the EmperorHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūcommentaryHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūannotationHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūsurname ShuHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shūto neglect; to dredge, to clear away; lax, carelessHSK 5, v, 12 strokes, radical 疋, rank #16977, Hard
shū(shu1) T1
  1. 1to dredge
  2. 2to clear away obstruction
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

(疎)shū(shu1)

The character 疏 (shū) primarily means to clear away obstructions or to thin out. It is commonly used in contexts related to maintenance, such as dredging water channels, as well as describing relationships that are distant or not close. Additionally, it can refer to negligence or carelessness in behavior.

Strokes12RadicalFrequency#16977DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, maintaining close relationships is highly valued, so using 疏 to describe a distant relationship can carry significant implications. This character can also relate to traditional practices in agriculture and water management, reflecting the importance of environmental maintenance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a gardener (shū) clearing away thick weeds (疏) to help plants grow. The character's components depict the idea of 'clearing' and 'thin', which can help you remember its meaning and sound.

Meanings of 疏

shū(shu1)
1to dredge
2to clear away obstruction
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 疏

Simplified
Traditional
12Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#16977Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5

Podcast: 疏

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 疏

Quick Contrast

疏 (shū) vs 稀 (xī) — use 疏 for clearing obstructions or thinning out, while 稀 refers to something sparse or thin in quantity.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a gardener (shū) clearing away thick weeds (疏) to help plants grow. The character's components depict the idea of 'clearing' and 'thin', which can help you remember its meaning and sound.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 疏 with related characters, so it's important to pay attention to context when using it. It can be used in both formal and informal settings, but caution should be taken when describing relationships to avoid sounding dismissive. Common collocations include 疏通 (shūtōng, to clear up) and 疏忽 (shūhū, to neglect).

HSK Study Tips

Although 疏 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects with other HSK words related to actions like clearing or neglecting. Focus on recognizing its use in various contexts and its nuances when discussing relationships or maintenance tasks.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, maintaining close relationships is highly valued, so using 疏 to describe a distant relationship can carry significant implications. This character can also relate to traditional practices in agriculture and water management, reflecting the importance of environmental maintenance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 疏 to describe close relationships instead of distant ones, such as saying '我和他关系疏' instead of '我和他的关系疏远'. Always remember that 疏 indicates distance or neglect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 疏

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 疏

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

Walking 疋 through uncultivated land 㐬

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 疏?

Decomposition of 疏

IDS Structure⿰疋㐬
Full Character
=
pi3
left
liu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 疏?

Write 疏

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 疏

疏 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 14 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

镇上老码头区多年来____于维护,快要塌陷了.

The town's old quayside is collapsing after years of neglect.

Example Sentences for 疏 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
镇上老码头区多年来疏于维护,快要塌陷了.

zhèn shàng lǎo mǎ tóu qū duō nián lái shū yú wéi hù, , kuài yào tā xiàn.

The town's old quayside is collapsing after years of neglect.
2
某厂家由于疏忽,制造并销售了一款刹车系统存在缺陷的汽车。

mǒu chǎng jiā yóu yú shū hū, , zhì zào bìng xiāo shòu le yī kuǎn chà chē xì tǒng cún zài quē xiàn de qì。

A manufacturer negligently made and marketed a car with defective brakes.
3
她把一头稀疏的浅黄色头发向后梳,挽成了个圆髻。

tā bǎ yī tóu xī shū de qiǎn huáng sè tóu fā xiàng hòu shū, , wǎn chéng le gè yuán。

She had pale thin yellow hair she pulled back into a bun.
4
水面持续上涨,已经有1,000多人被疏散了。

shuǐ miàn chí xù shàng zhǎng, , yǐ jīng1,000 yǒu 1,000 duō rén bèi shū。

The waters continue to rise as more than 1,000 people are evacuated.
5
新的版式会疏远上了年纪的读者群,并且也不会吸引年轻读者。

xīn de bǎn shì huì shū yuǎn shàng le nián jì de dú zhě qún, , bìng qiě yě bù huì xī yǐn nián qīng dú。

A new format would alienate its ageing readership without attracting young readers.
6
回想起来,他们似乎很可能疏忽了。

huí xiǎng qǐ lái, , tā mén sì hū hěn kě néng shū hū。

Retrospectively, it seems as if they probably were negligent.
7
她捧起疏松的泥土,任其缓缓地从指间漏下。

tā pěng qǐ shū sōng de ní tǔ, , rèn qí huǎn huǎn dì cóng zhǐ jiān lòu。

She gathered loose soil and let it filter slowly through her fingers.
8
人无完人,谁都难保不偶尔疏忽一次。

rén wú wán rén, , shuí dū nán bǎo bù ǒu ěr shū hū yī。

Nobody is perfect, and everyone acts thoughtlessly on occasion.
9
当初要是分几个冬天疏剪树木,会比一下子疏剪完效果好。

dāng chū yào shì fēn jī gè dōng tiān shū jiǎn shù mù, , huì bǐ yī xià zǐ shū jiǎn wán xiào guǒ。

It would have been better to have thinned the trees over several winters rather than all at one time.
10
把所有人疏散出去,打电话叫消防队。

bǎ suǒ yǒu rén shū sàn chū qù, , dǎ diàn huà jiào xiāo fáng。

Get everyone out and call the fire brigade.

Cultural Notes for 疏

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, maintaining close relationships is highly valued, so using 疏 to describe a distant relationship can carry significant implications. This character can also relate to traditional practices in agriculture and water management, reflecting the importance of environmental maintenance.

Word Family of 疏

Compounds1
shu1vegetables
Words Containing This Character20
疏散shūsànto scatter
疏远shūyuǎnto drift apart疏遠
疏忽shūhuto neglect
shūthin
疏通shūtōngto unblock
疏松to loosen疏鬆
疏导shūdǎoto dredge疏導
生疏shēngshūunfamiliar
稀疏sparse
疏漏to slip
疏于to be lacking in疏於
疏忽大意oversight
疏浚to dredge
上疏(of a court official) to present a memorial to the emperor (old)
疏解to mediate
亲疏close and distant (relatives)親疏
疏失oversight
骨质疏松症osteoporosis骨質疏鬆症
疏而不漏loose, but allows no escape (idiom, from Laozi 老子); the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape
注疏commentary and subcommentary (of a book)註疏
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 蔬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 疏

You can say '他对工作有些疏忽' (Tā duì gōngzuò yǒuxiē shūhū) meaning 'He is a bit negligent about his work.'