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蘇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蘇sūto awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterationsx, 20 strokes, radical 艹, rank #88036, Very Hard
sū(su1)su T1
  1. 1to awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterations
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March 24, 2026

蘇sū(su1)

The character 蘇 (sū) primarily means to awaken, revive, or resurrect. It is often used in contexts related to recovery or renewal, both physically and metaphorically. Additionally, it appears in transliterations of foreign names and terms, highlighting its versatility in the Chinese language.

Strokes20Radical艹Frequency#88036DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

蘇 is associated with traditional Chinese medicine, where revival and recovery are significant concepts. It often appears in poetry and literature, symbolizing hope and new beginnings, especially in the context of spring.

Memory tip

Imagine a sleeping beauty who suddenly awakens with the scent of fresh flowers (蘇 is associated with flowers). The left radical, 艹 (cǎo), represents plants, while the right part, 苏, sounds like 'sue,' reminding you of the awakening of a character in a story after a long sleep.

Meanings of 蘇

sū(su1)
1to awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterations
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 蘇

蘇Simplified
20Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蘇

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Podcast: 蘇

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AI study notes for 蘇

Quick Contrast

醒 (xǐng) - use 蘇 when emphasizing revival or resurrection, while 醒 focuses on awakening from sleep or unconsciousness.

Usage Notes

When using 蘇, be aware of its formal tone, often suitable for literary or poetic contexts. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar characters like 速 (sù), which means fast. It often collocates with words like 醒 (xǐng) for 'to wake up' or 复苏 (fùsū) meaning 'to revive.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 蘇 is not part of the HSK levels, it connects to vocabulary related to recovery (e.g., 复苏) found in HSK 4 and 5. Focus on its usage in phrases and its radicals to deepen understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 蘇 as 'sù' with a falling tone instead of the correct high tone 'sū.' Additionally, some confuse it with similar characters like 蘋 (píng) which means 'apple,' leading to misinterpretation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蘇

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Etymology of 蘇

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 蘇. Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 穌 represents the sound.

Memory hint

A perennial 穌 grass 艹; 穌 also provides the pronunciation

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

Origin

What kind of character is 蘇?

Decomposition of 蘇

IDS Structure⿱艹穌
蘇Full character
=
艹cao3
top
穌su1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 蘇?

How to say to awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterations in Chinese

“to awaken, to revive, to resurrect; used in transliterations” in Chinese is蘇sū

The character 蘇 (sū) primarily means to awaken, revive, or resurrect. It is often used in contexts related to recovery or renewal, both physically and metaphorically. Additionally, it appears in transliterations of foreign names and terms, highlighting its versatility in the Chinese language.

When to use 蘇

When using 蘇, be aware of its formal tone, often suitable for literary or poetic contexts. A common mistake is to confuse it with similar characters like 速 (sù), which means fast. It often collocates with words like 醒 (xǐng) for 'to wake up' or 复苏 (fùsū) meaning 'to revive.'

蘇 or something close to it

醒 (xǐng) - use 蘇 when emphasizing revival or resurrection, while 醒 focuses on awakening from sleep or unconsciousness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 蘇 as 'sù' with a falling tone instead of the correct high tone 'sū.' Additionally, some confuse it with similar characters like 蘋 (píng) which means 'apple,' leading to misinterpretation.

Write 蘇

蘇

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

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Word Family of 蘇

Words containing this character20
苏sūplace name蘇
苏联Soviet Union, 1922-1991蘇聯
苏格兰Scotland蘇格蘭
江苏Jiangsu province (Kiangsu) in southeast China, abbr. 蘇|苏, capital Nanjing 南京江蘇
苏州Suzhou prefecture level city in Jiangsu蘇州
苏打soda (loanword)蘇打
复苏fùsūanabiosis復蘇
江苏省Jiangsu Province (Kiangsu) in southeast China, abbr. 蘇|苏[Sū], capital Nanjing 南京[Nán​jīng]江蘇省
苏珊Susan (name)蘇珊
苏丹Sudan蘇丹
苏醒sūxǐngto come to甦醒
苏菲Sophie (name)蘇菲
苏黎世Zurich, Switzerland蘇黎世
苏维埃Soviet (council)蘇維埃
前苏联former Soviet Union前蘇聯
密苏里Missouri密蘇里
明尼苏达Minnesota, USA明尼蘇達
流苏tassels流蘇
密苏里州Missouri密蘇里州
明尼苏达州Minnesota明尼蘇達州
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 蘇

What does 苏 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 蘇

It's not commonly used in everyday conversation but can appear in literary texts, poetry, or discussions about health and recovery.

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