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酥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
酥sūbutter; crispy, flaky; fluffy, lightHSK 7, a, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
酥sūflaky pastryHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
酥sūcrunchyHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
酥sūlimpHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
酥sūsoftHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
酥sūsilkyHSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 酉, rank #11141, Hard
sū(su1) T1
  1. 1butter; crispy, flaky; fluffy, light
  2. 2flaky pastry
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
酥sū(su1)

The character 酥 (sū) primarily refers to a texture that is light, flaky, and often associated with baked goods. It is commonly used to describe pastry or food items that are crispy or buttery, conveying a sense of softness and delicacy. In culinary contexts, it can denote anything that has a tender, crumbly quality.

Strokes12Radical酉Frequency#11141DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, flaky pastries like 酥皮点心 (sūpí diǎnxīn, flaky pastries) are popular during festivals and special occasions, showcasing the importance of texture in food appreciation. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on the artistry of cooking and the enjoyment of delicate flavors.

Memory Tip

Imagine a soft, flaky pastry that melts in your mouth, like a buttery croissant. The character 酥 resembles a soft, fluffy cloud (the top part) resting on a rich, creamy surface (the bottom part), symbolizing its light and airy texture. The 'sū' pronunciation sounds like 'sue', as if someone is suing over the last piece of delicious pastry!

Meanings of 酥

sū(su1)
1butter; crispy, flaky; fluffy, light
2flaky pastry
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 酥

酥Simplified
12Strokes
酉Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 酥

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Podcast: 酥

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AI Study Notes for 酥

Quick Contrast

酥 (sū) vs 脆 (cuì) — use 酥 for flaky, tender textures, while 脆 refers specifically to a crisp texture that breaks easily.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a soft, flaky pastry that melts in your mouth, like a buttery croissant. The character 酥 resembles a soft, fluffy cloud (the top part) resting on a rich, creamy surface (the bottom part), symbolizing its light and airy texture. The 'sū' pronunciation sounds like 'sue', as if someone is suing over the last piece of delicious pastry!

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 酥 with similar-sounding words that refer to different textures, such as 硬 (yìng, hard) or 干 (gān, dry). This character is informal and frequently used in food contexts, so be cautious with its application in formal writing. Common collocations include 酥皮 (sūpí, flaky crust) and 酥饼 (sūbǐng, flaky pastry).

HSK Study Tips

While 酥 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it connects well with food-related terms often found in HSK materials. Students should focus on learning its pronunciation and usage in contexts involving cuisine to enhance their culinary vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, flaky pastries like 酥皮点心 (sūpí diǎnxīn, flaky pastries) are popular during festivals and special occasions, showcasing the importance of texture in food appreciation. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on the artistry of cooking and the enjoyment of delicate flavors.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 酥 when describing textures like硬 (yìng, hard) or 粗 (cū, coarse), which are not applicable. For example, saying '这个饼干很酥' (zhège bǐnggān hěn sū, 'this cookie is very flaky') is correct, but saying '这个饼干很硬' (zhège bǐnggān hěn yìng, 'this cookie is very flaky') is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 酥

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Etymology of 酥

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

Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 酉 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

grain

Semantic (meaning)禾
+
Phonetic (sound)酉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 酥?

Decomposition of 酥

IDS Structure⿰酉禾
酥Full Character
=
酉you3
left
禾he2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 酥?

Write 酥

酥

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

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Grammar Patterns of 酥

酥 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 6 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 5

Complete the Sentence

我偏爱加有新鲜水果的精致油____甜点。

I am partial to desserts that combine fresh fruit with fine pastry.

Example Sentences for 酥 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我偏爱加有新鲜水果的精致油酥甜点。

wǒ piān ài jiā yǒu xīn xiān shuǐ guǒ de jīng zhì yóu sū tián diǎn。

I am partial to desserts that combine fresh fruit with fine pastry.
2
把油酥面团一分为二，再分别擀成皮。

bǎ yóu sū miàn tuán yī fēn wéi èr， ， zài fēn bié gǎn chéng。

Divide the pastry in half and roll out each piece.
3
在搅拌做蛋奶酥的各种原料之前先要把盘子准备好。

zài jiǎo bàn zuò dàn nǎi sū de gè zhǒng yuán liào zhī qián xiān yào bǎ pán zǐ zhǔn bèi hǎo。

Prepare the souffle dish before making up the souffle mixture.
4
切出四块圆形油酥面饼。

qiē chū sì kuài yuán xíng yóu sū miàn bǐng。

Cut out 4 circles of pastry.
5
将油酥面团小心地移至烤盘的各角，注意不要把它拉长。

jiāng yóu sū miàn tuán xiǎo xīn dì yí zhì kǎo pán de gè jiǎo， ， zhù yì bù yào bǎ tā lā。

Ease the pastry into the corners of the tin, making sure you don't stretch it.
6
不要吃太多浓酱汁、油炸食品和甜腻的油酥点心，因为这些食品的脂肪含量很高。

bù yào chī tài duō nóng jiàng zhī、 、 yóu zhà shí pǐn hé tián nì de yóu sū diǎn， xīn ， yīn wéi zhè xiē shí pǐn de zhī fáng hán liáng。

Don't indulge in rich sauces, fried food and thick pastry as these are high in fat.
7
最受欢迎的是甜馅锅魁,其特点是香 、 甜 、 酥 、 脆.

zuì shòu huān yíng de shì tián xiàn guō kuí, , qí tè diǎn shì、 xiāng、 、、 tián.

The most popular filling is sweetguo kui characterized fragrance, sweet, crisp, crisp.
8
在蛋奶酥和香滨酒后面的烤牛排是很引人注目的.

zài dàn nǎi sū hé xiāng bīn jiǔ hòu miàn de kǎo niú pái shì hěn yǐn rén zhù mù de.

Roast beef stood eminent behind the souffle and champagne.
9
香酥鸡 、 肯德基 、 道口烧鸡,大同小异.

xiāng sū jī、 、 kěn dé、 jī 、 dào kǒu, shāo jī , dà.

Dining off crispy chicken , Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Daokou braised chicken, what's the difference?
10
我建议您点香酥鸭.

wǒ jiàn yì nín diǎn xiāng sū yā.

I will suggest crispy fried duck.

Cultural Notes for 酥

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, flaky pastries like 酥皮点心 (sūpí diǎnxīn, flaky pastries) are popular during festivals and special occasions, showcasing the importance of texture in food appreciation. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on the artistry of cooking and the enjoyment of delicate flavors.

Word Family of 酥

Words Containing This Character9
酥sūlimp
耶酥Jesus (耶稣 is more usual)
酥脆crisp (of food)
酥油butter
酥软limp酥軟
酥油茶butter tea (Tibetan, Mongolian etc drink derived from milk)
酥麻limp and numb (of limbs)
酥松flaky (pastry etc)酥鬆
酥油花butter sculpture (Tibetan art form using paint derived from milk products)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 酥 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 酥

酥 (sū) refers to a soft, flaky texture, while 脆 (cuì) describes a hard and crunchy texture. They are both used in food descriptions but imply different qualities.