书

Tap the pinyin to hear it

book; letter; document; CL:本[ben3],冊|册[ce4],部[bu4]; to write

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A mark made by a pen ⺺

Components 丨 ? unknown part

book · Heisig RSH #1393

key + clothes hanger + walking stick + a drop of

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
书包	shū bāo	schoolbag; satchel; bookbag; CL:個\|个[ge4],隻\|只[zhi1]
书店	shū diàn	bookstore; CL:家[jia1]
图书馆	tú shū guǎn	library; CL:家[jia1],個\|个[ge4]
读书	dú shū	to read a book; to study; to attend school
小人书	xiǎo rén shū	children's picture story book; CL:本[ben3]
白面书生	bái miàn shū shēng	lit. pale-faced scholar (idiom); young and inexperienced person without practical experien…
电子书	diàn zǐ shū	electronic book; e-book; e-book reader
自白书	zì bái shū	confession
书法家	shū fǎ jiā	calligrapher
国书	guó shū	credentials (of a diplomat); documents exchanged between nations; national or dynastic his…
书生	shū shēng	scholar; intellectual; egghead
地书	dì shū	writing on the ground with a large brush dipped in water
天书	tiān shū	imperial edict; heavenly book (superstition); obscure or illegible writing; double dutch
家书	jiā shū	see 家信[jia1 xin4]
小红书	Xiǎo hóng shū	REDnote (Chinese social networking platform); (historical) Little Red Book, nickname for 毛…
罗马书	Luó mǎ shū	Epistle of St Paul to the Romans
行书	xíng shū	running script; semicursive script (Chinese calligraphic style)
上书	shàng shū	to write a letter (to the authorities); to present a petition
书会	shū huì	calligraphy society; village school (old); literary society (old)
手书	shǒu shū	to write personally; personal letter