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叙 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
叙
xù
to narrate
HSK 6, ns, 9 strokes, radical 又, rank #14446, Hard
叙
xù
to chat
HSK 6, ns, 9 strokes, radical 又, rank #14446, Hard
叙
xù
to express, to state; to relate, to narrate
HSK 6, ns, 9 strokes, radical 又, rank #14446, Hard
叙
xù
abbr. for Syria 敘利亞
HSK 6, ns, 9 strokes, radical 又, rank #14446, Hard
xù(xu4)xu T4
1to narrate
2to chat
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
叙(敍)xù(xu4)
The character 叙 (xù) primarily means 'to narrate' or 'to express' something in detail. It is often used in contexts involving storytelling, conversation, or providing an account of events. This character can also refer to informal chatting and is associated with sharing experiences or information.
Strokes9Radical又Frequency#14446DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, storytelling is a revered art form, often seen during gatherings and celebrations. The practice of 叙述 (narration) can be a way to preserve history and maintain familial ties through shared stories.
Memory tip
Imagine a storyteller (the character's shape resembles a person speaking) who is narrating a tale to an audience. The '口' (mouth) component signifies speaking, while the '余' (remainder) suggests adding extra details to the story or chat. Together, they help you remember that 叙 is about narrating or sharing verbally.
Meanings of 叙
xù(xu4)
1to narrate
2to chat
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 叙 means.
About 叙
叙Simplified
敍Traditional
9Strokes
又Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#14446Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6
Podcast: 叙
Podcast: 叙
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AI study notes for 叙
Quick Contrast
叙 (xù) vs 描 (miáo) — use 叙 when focusing on narrating or expressing in detail, while 描 emphasizes describing or depicting something visually.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 叙 (xù) with other similar-sounding characters in tone, such as 敘 (xù). It is more commonly used in informal settings rather than formal writing. Typical collocations include 叙述 (to narrate) and 叙聊 (to chat).
HSK Study Tips
Although not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, 叙 shares roots with words related to communication found in lower levels, such as 说 (to speak) and 讲 (to talk). Students should focus on understanding its use in conversational contexts to enhance their speaking skills.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 叙 with similar characters like 叙述 (narrate) and 敘 (narrate) due to their similar meanings. A common mistake is using 叙 in overly formal contexts; instead, use 敘 for more serious or written communications.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 叙
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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 叙 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
叙 = 又 + 余. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 叙
IDS Structure⿰余又
叙Full character
=
余Yu2
left
又you4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 叙?
How to say to narrate in Chinese
“to narrate” in Chinese is叙xù
The character 叙 (xù) primarily means 'to narrate' or 'to express' something in detail. It is often used in contexts involving storytelling, conversation, or providing an account of events. This character can also refer to informal chatting and is associated with sharing experiences or information.
When to use 叙
Be careful not to confuse 叙 (xù) with other similar-sounding characters in tone, such as 敘 (xù). It is more commonly used in informal settings rather than formal writing. Typical collocations include 叙述 (to narrate) and 叙聊 (to chat).
叙 or something close to it
叙 (xù) vs 描 (miáo) — use 叙 when focusing on narrating or expressing in detail, while 描 emphasizes describing or depicting something visually.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 叙 with similar characters like 叙述 (narrate) and 敘 (narrate) due to their similar meanings. A common mistake is using 叙 in overly formal contexts; instead, use 敘 for more serious or written communications.
Write 叙
叙
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Practice writing 叙 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 叙
叙 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
这个团体与____利亚的关系可以追溯到《圣经》时代。
The community's links with Syria date back to biblical times.
zhège gùshi de xùshù zhě zhū ěr Sī shì gè nián jìn bù huò de nǚ yǎnyuán。
Jules, the story's narrator, is an actress in her late thirties.
5
剧本倒叙了老英雄的童年.
jùběn dào xù le lǎo yīngxióng de tóngnián.
The script cuts back to the old hero's childhood.
6
埃米斯以倒叙的方式讲述了这个故事，从这个男人死去的时候开始讲起。
āi mǐ Sī yǐ dào xù de fāngshì jiǎngshù le zhège gùshi， cóng zhège nánrén sǐ qù de shíhou kāishǐ jiǎng qǐ。
Amis tells the story in reverse, from the moment the man dies.
7
他对战争的叙述含有大量离题的细节.
tā duì zhànzhēng de xùshù hányǒu dàliàng lí tí de xìjié.
His account of the war includes a lot of extraneous details.
8
现代文学以家族为母题创作的小说拥有共性的叙事形式.
xiàndài wénxué yǐ jiāzú wèi mǔ tí chuàngzuò de xiǎoshuō yōngyǒu gòngxìng de xùshì xíngshì.
The fictions with family motif in modern have uniform narrative form.
9
他叙说自己洗蒸汽浴的感受.
tā xù shuō zìjǐ xǐ zhēng qì yù de gǎnshòu.
He narrated his own personal experience of the Turkish bath.
10
他带着留恋的心情, 一边喝酒一边叙述他的拉丁美洲之行.
tā dài zhe liúliàn de xīnqíng, yìbiān hē jiǔ yìbiān xùshù tā de lā Dīng měi zhōu zhī xíng.
Over drinks , he speaks longingly of his trip to Latin America.
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Word Family of 叙
Compounds2
溆xùa river in Hunan
潊xù
Words containing this character20
叙述xùshùto recount敘述
叙利亚xùlìyàSyria敘利亞
叙xùto chat敘
叙旧xùjiùto reminisce敘舊
叙事xùshìnarrative敘事
记叙jìxùto narrate記敘
叙事诗xùshìshīnarrative poem敘事詩
记叙文jìxùwénnarrative writing記敘文
倒叙dàoxùto flash back倒敘
叙永xùyǒngXuyong county in Luzhou 瀘州|泸州[Lúzhōu], Sichuan敘永
叙谈xùtánto chat敘談
叙述性xùshùxìngnarrative敘述性
铺叙pūxùcomplete narrative鋪敘
叙永县xùyǒngxiànXuyong county in Luzhou 瀘州|泸州[Lúzhōu], Sichuan敘永縣
追叙zhuīxùto recount what happened prior to events already known追敘
顺叙shùnxùchronological narrative順敘
叙拉古xùlāgǔSyracuse, Sicily敘拉古
面叙miànxùto talk face-to-face面敘
叙言xùyánpreface敘言
叙明xùmíngdetailed accounting敘明
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 叙
What does 溆 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 叙
Both characters are pronounced the same, but 叙 is a simplified variant used in modern contexts, while 敘 can appear in more formal or traditional texts.
Generally, 叙 is more suited for informal contexts like conversation rather than formal writing, where 敘 might be preferred.
You can use 叙 when you want to ask someone about their day or to share a story, making it a great word for social interactions.
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