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纾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纾shūto relieve; to relax, to loosen; to extricateg, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
纾shūabundantunknown, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
纾shūampleunknown, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
纾shūat easeunknown, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
纾shūrelaxedunknown, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
纾shūto free fromunknown, 7 strokes, radical 纟, rank #39722, Very Hard
shū(shu1) T1
  1. 1to relieve; to relax, to loosen; to extricate
  2. 2abundant
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

纾(紓)shū(shu1)

The character 纾 (shū) primarily means to relieve or to relax, often in the context of easing burdens or stress. It can also imply loosening something that is tight or freeing someone from a difficult situation. In a broader sense, it conveys a feeling of being at ease or having an abundance of something.

Strokes7Radical纟Frequency#39722DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of relaxation and relief is often linked to traditional practices like tai chi and meditation, which emphasize the importance of easing stress and finding balance in life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tight rope that is being loosened, much like when you finally relax after a stressful day. The character 纾 has the radical for silk (纟) at its beginning, suggesting the softening or loosening of threads, which ties to the idea of relief and relaxation.

Meanings of 纾

shū(shu1)
1to relieve; to relax, to loosen; to extricate
2abundant
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 纾

纾Simplified
紓Traditional
7Strokes
纟Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 纾

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Podcast: 纾

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AI Study Notes for 纾

Quick Contrast

舒 (shū) - use 纾 when emphasizing the act of relieving burdens or stress, whereas 舒 focuses more on the feeling of comfort or ease.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 纾 is less commonly used in everyday conversation compared to its synonyms. It often appears in formal contexts or written Chinese. Common collocations include 纾解 (to relieve) and 纾困 (to alleviate difficulties).

HSK Study Tips

While 纾 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to themes of relief and ease found in HSK Level 4 words like 放松 (fàngsōng, to relax) and 轻松 (qīngsōng, easy). Focus on the context in which you can apply 纾 to deepen your understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 纾 with its synonyms, using it incorrectly in casual contexts where simpler words like 放松 are more appropriate. For example, saying '我想纾一下' (I want to relieve for a bit) instead of '我想放松一下' (I want to relax for a bit) sounds overly formal.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纾

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Etymology of 纾

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

A thread 纟 with some give 予; 予 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 纾

  1. 1The giveawayA thread 纟 with some give 予; 予 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 纾? 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 纾?

Decomposition of 纾

IDS Structure⿰纟予
纾Full Character
=
纟si1
left
予yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 纾?

How to say to relieve; to relax, to loosen; to extricate in Chinese

“to relieve; to relax, to loosen; to extricate” in Chinese is纾shū

The character 纾 (shū) primarily means to relieve or to relax, often in the context of easing burdens or stress. It can also imply loosening something that is tight or freeing someone from a difficult situation. In a broader sense, it conveys a feeling of being at ease or having an abundance of something.

When to use 纾

Be mindful that 纾 is less commonly used in everyday conversation compared to its synonyms. It often appears in formal contexts or written Chinese. Common collocations include 纾解 (to relieve) and 纾困 (to alleviate difficulties).

纾 or something close to it

舒 (shū) - use 纾 when emphasizing the act of relieving burdens or stress, whereas 舒 focuses more on the feeling of comfort or ease.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 纾 with its synonyms, using it incorrectly in casual contexts where simpler words like 放松 are more appropriate. For example, saying '我想纾一下' (I want to relieve for a bit) instead of '我想放松一下' (I want to relax for a bit) sounds overly formal.

Write 纾

纾

Practice writing 纾 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 纾

Words Containing This Character2
纾shūample紓
毁家纾难to sacrifice one's wealth to save the state (idiom)毀家紓難
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 纾 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纾

Synonyms include 放松 (fàngsōng, to relax) and 缓解 (huǎnjiě, to alleviate).

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