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

疏(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.

Strokes12Radical疋Frequency#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

By ear

Play it, then pick what 疏 means.

About 疏

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

Podcast: 疏

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Podcast: 疏

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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.

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.

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

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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

Origin

What kind of character is 疏?

Decomposition of 疏

IDS Structure⿰疋㐬
疏Full character
=
疋pi3
left
㐬liu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 疏?

How to say to dredge in Chinese

“to dredge” in Chinese is疏shū

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.

When to use 疏

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).

疏 or something close to it

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

What learners get wrong

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.

Write 疏

疏

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

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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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

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 (18)

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 mǎtóu Ōu duōniánlái shū yú wéihù, kuàiyào tā xiàn le.

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 chǎngjiā yóuyú shūhu, zhìzào bìng xiāoshòu le yī kuǎn shāchē xìtǒng cúnzài quēxiàn de qìchē。

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 yìtóu xī shū de jiān huángsè tóufa xiàng hòu shū, wǎn chéng le gè yuán jì。

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。

shuǐmiàn chíxù shàngzhǎng, yǐjīng yǒu1,000 duō rén bèi shūsàn le。

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 shūyuǎn shàng le niánjì de dúzhě qún, bìngqiě yě bù huì xīyǐn niánqīng dúzhě。

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。

huíxiǎng qǐlái, tāmen sìhū hěn kěnéng shūhu le。

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 nítǔ, rèn qí huǎnhuǎn dì cóng zhǐ jiān lòu xià。

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, shéi dōu nán bǎo bù ǒu’ěr shūhu yī cì。

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。

dāngchū yàoshi fēn jǐ gè dōngtiān shū jiǎn shùmù, huì bǐ yīxiàzi shū jiǎn wán xiàoguǒ hǎo。

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 suǒyǒu rén shūsàn chūqù, dǎdiànhuà jiào xiāofáng duì。

Get everyone out and call the fire brigade.
11
由于长时间疏于打理,这片花园显得有些荒凉。

Yóuyú cháng shíjiān shū yú dǎlǐ, zhè piàn huāyuán xiǎnde yǒuxiē huāngliáng.

Due to being neglected for a long time, this garden looks somewhat desolate.
12
这个项目的进度因为管理上的疏漏而拖延了。

Zhège xiàngmù de jìndù yīnwèi guǎnlǐ shàng de shūlòu ér tuōyán le.

The progress of this project was delayed due to management oversight.
13
作家疏于更新自己的博客,因此失去了很多读者。

Zuòjiā shū yú gēngxīn zìjǐ de bókè, yīncǐ shīqùle hěnduō dúzhě.

The writer neglected to update their blog, thus losing many readers.
14
如果再疏于检查,可能会导致严重的后果。

Rúguǒ zài shū yú jiǎnchá, kěnéng huì dǎozhì yánzhòng de hòuguǒ.

If inspections continue to be neglected, it may lead to serious consequences.
15
由于长时间疏于打理,这片花园显得有些荒凉。

Yóuyú cháng shíjiān shū yú dǎlǐ, zhè piàn huāyuán xiǎnde yǒuxiē huāngliáng.

Due to being neglected for a long time, this garden looks somewhat desolate.
16
这个项目的进度因为管理上的疏漏而拖延了。

Zhège xiàngmù de jìndù yīnwèi guǎnlǐ shàng de shūlòu ér tuōyán le.

The progress of this project was delayed due to management oversight.
17
作家疏于更新自己的博客,因此失去了很多读者。

Zuòjiā shū yú gēngxīn zìjǐ de bókè, yīncǐ shīqùle hěnduō dúzhě.

The writer neglected to update their blog, thus losing many readers.
18
如果再疏于检查,可能会导致严重的后果。

Rúguǒ zài shū yú jiǎnchá, kěnéng huì dǎozhì yánzhòng de hòuguǒ.

If inspections continue to be neglected, it may lead to serious consequences.

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Word Family of 疏

Compounds1
蔬shūvegetables
Words containing this character20
疏散shūsànto scatter
疏远shūyuǎnto drift apart疏遠
疏忽shūhuto neglect
疏shūthin
疏通shūtōngto unblock
疏松shūsōngto loosen疏鬆
疏导shūdǎoto dredge疏導
生疏shēngshūunfamiliar
稀疏xīshūsparse
疏漏shūlòuto slip
疏于shūyúto be lacking in疏於
疏忽大意shūhudàyìoversight
疏浚shūjùnto dredge
上疏shàngshū(of a court official) to present a memorial to the emperor (old)
疏解shūjiěto mediate
亲疏qīnshūclose and distant (relatives)親疏
疏失shūshīoversight
骨质疏松症gǔzhìshūsōngzhèngosteoporosis骨質疏鬆症
疏而不漏shū’érbúlòuloose, but allows no escape (idiom, from Laozi 老子); the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape
注疏zhùshūcommentary and subcommentary (of a book)註疏
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 疏

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.'

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