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鬚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鬚xūbeard; must; necessaryx, 22 strokes, radical 髟
xū(xu1) T1
  1. 1beard; must; necessary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鬚xū(xu1)

The character 鬚 (xū) primarily refers to facial hair, particularly beards or mustaches. It can also imply something that is necessary or essential, often used in contexts where a requirement is stated. This character is commonly used in discussions about grooming and personal appearance as well as in more abstract contexts to emphasize necessity.

Strokes22Radical髟
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, a well-groomed beard (鬚) is often associated with wisdom and masculinity, particularly in historical figures and literary works. It reflects the importance of appearance and grooming in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise old man with a long, flowing beard (鬚) that symbolizes wisdom and necessity (essential for his age). The character's complex form can be broken down into components that evoke the image of facial hair, helping you remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 鬚

xū(xu1)
1beard; must; necessary
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鬚

鬚Simplified
22Strokes
髟Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鬚

JasonAmy

Podcast: 鬚

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 鬚

Quick Contrast

须 (xū) vs 鬚 (xū) — use 鬚 specifically for facial hair, while 须 can refer to both facial hair and other essential requirements.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 鬚 with similar-sounding characters, especially in tonal pronunciation; ensure you maintain the proper tone (xū). It is used more formally when discussing grooming, so in casual conversations, you may encounter simpler terms for facial hair. Collocations include phrases like '鬚髮' (facial hair).

HSK Study Tips

While 鬚 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to other HSK words discussing personal appearance and grooming. Focus on pronunciation and recognizing the character's components to build a connection with related terms. It could be a good supplementary word for learners at HSK Level 3 or 4 who are expanding their vocabulary on personal grooming.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly pronounce 鬚 with the wrong tone, saying 'xu' instead of 'xū.' Additionally, some might confuse it with characters for less specific terms for hair, leading to imprecise usage.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鬚

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Etymology of 鬚

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 須. Pictograph of a person with a bearded face. The current meaning is a phonetic loan. In simplified Chinese 须 is also used to mean "beard", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 鬚.

Memory Hint

hair

Semantic (meaning)髟
+
Phonetic (sound)須
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鬚

Simplified form of 須. Pictograph of a person with a bearded face. The current meaning is a phonetic loan. In simplified Chinese 须 is also used to mean "beard", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 鬚.

  1. 1The meaning half髟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half須 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhair
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鬚? 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 鬚?

Decomposition of 鬚

IDS Structure⿱髟須
鬚Full Character
=
髟biao1
top
須xu1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鬚?

How to say beard; must; necessary in Chinese

“beard; must; necessary” in Chinese is鬚xū

The character 鬚 (xū) primarily refers to facial hair, particularly beards or mustaches. It can also imply something that is necessary or essential, often used in contexts where a requirement is stated. This character is commonly used in discussions about grooming and personal appearance as well as in more abstract contexts to emphasize necessity.

When to use 鬚

Learners often confuse 鬚 with similar-sounding characters, especially in tonal pronunciation; ensure you maintain the proper tone (xū). It is used more formally when discussing grooming, so in casual conversations, you may encounter simpler terms for facial hair. Collocations include phrases like '鬚髮' (facial hair).

鬚 or something close to it

须 (xū) vs 鬚 (xū) — use 鬚 specifically for facial hair, while 须 can refer to both facial hair and other essential requirements.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly pronounce 鬚 with the wrong tone, saying 'xu' instead of 'xū.' Additionally, some might confuse it with characters for less specific terms for hair, leading to imprecise usage.

Write 鬚

鬚

Practice writing 鬚 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 鬚

Words Containing This Character20
必须bìxūmust必須
须xūbeard鬚
无须wúxūneed not無須
胡须húxūbeard鬍鬚
须知xūzhīkey information須知
莫须有groundless莫須有
须要must須要
剃须刀shaver剃鬚刀
何须why should何須
须臾in a flash須臾
须眉man or men (formal)鬚眉
须发hair and beard鬚髮
触须tentacles觸鬚
须弥Mt Meru or Sumeru, sacred mountain in Buddhist and Jain tradition須彌
根须roots根鬚
溜须拍马to toady溜鬚拍馬
横须贺Yokosuka (port and navy base in the Tokyo bay)橫須賀
须根fibrous roots須根
解铃还须系铃人fig. whoever started the trouble should end it解鈴還須繫鈴人
须子feelers (zoology)鬚子
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 必须 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鬚

It is pronounced as xū, with a high-level tone.

Jason Recommends

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