疏 (shū): to dredge, to clear away obstruction, thin
疏 (shū) is a Chinese character meaning “to dredge.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 疋 (structural) and 㐬 (structural). It ranks #1876 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 疏 walking 疋 through uncultivated land 㐬. Its radical form 疋 (bolt of cloth) appears in many related characters such as 疑 (yí, (bound form) to doubt).
Definitions
- to dredge
- to clear away obstruction
- thin
Etymology & Origin
ideographicWalking 疋 through uncultivated land 㐬
Decomposition: ⿰疋㐬 (layout: left-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 疏 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 疏散 | shū sǎn | idle |
| 疏远 | shū yuǎn | to drift apart |
| 疏忽 | shū hu | to neglect |
| 生疏 | shēng shū | unfamiliar |
| 疏通 | shū tōng | to unblock |
| 疏松 | shū sōng | to loosen |
| 疏漏 | shū lòu | to slip up |
| 稀疏 | xī shū | sparse |
| 疏于 | shū yú | to fail to pay sufficient attention to |
| 疏忽大意 | shū hu dà yì | oversight |
| 疏导 | shū dǎo | to dredge |
| 骨质疏松症 | gǔ zhì shū sōng zhèng | osteoporosis |
| 疏失 | shū shī | to make a (careless) mistake |
| 疏解 | shū jiě | to mediate |
| 疏理 | shū lǐ | to clarify (disparate material into a coherent narrative) |
疏 appears in 62 compound words: 69 as the first character, 13 as the last, and 18 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 疏 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (8)
distributing money, supporting virtue (idiom); fig. to give generously in a public cause
loose, but allows no escape (idiom, from Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3]); the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape
to be generous in aiding the needy; to give money for a righteous cause
distributing money, supporting virtue (idiom); fig. to give generously in a public cause
loose, but allows no escape (idiom, from Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3]); the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape
to be generous in aiding the needy; to give money for a righteous cause
Example Sentences
疏字虽然难写，但意思很有趣。
shū zì suī rán nán xiě , dàn yì sī hěn yǒu qù .
The character "疏" may be difficult to write, but its meaning is quite interesting.
中国35岁指挥家李疏瞳纽约车祸逝世 所在乐团以演奏中国音乐闻...
zhōng guó 3 5 suì zhǐ huī jiā lǐ shū 瞳 niǔ yuē chē huò shì shì suǒ zài lè tuán yǐ yǎn zòu zhōng guó yīn lè wén . . .
China's 35-year-old conductor Li Shutong died in a car accident in New York The orchestra is known for playing Chinese music...
科学家突破超疏水材料热稳定性难题,让热咖啡、热牛奶不再...
kē xué jiā tū pò chāo shū shuǐ cái liào rè wěn dìng xìng nán tí , ràng rè kā fēi , rè niú nǎi bù zài . . .
Scientists have broken through the thermal stability problem of superhydrophobic materials, so that hot coffee and hot milk are no more...
今年春节海运疏运成长1成 航港局即时启动海空联防机制成...
jīn nián chūn jié hǎi yùn shū yùn chéng cháng 1 chéng háng gǎng jú jí shí qǐ dòng hǎi kōng lián fáng jī zhì chéng . . .
This year's Spring Festival maritime transport growth increased by 10%, and the Port Bureau immediately launched the sea-air joint defense mechanism...
牛池湾纪律部队宿舍天台梯间起火 50人疏散 警列纵火调查
niú chí wān jì lǜ bù duì sù shě tiān tái tī jiān qǐ huǒ 5 0 rén shū sàn jǐng liè zòng huǒ diào chá
A fire broke out in the roof stairwell of the Niuchiwan Disciplined Forces dormitory, 50 people were evacuated, and the police arson investigation was conducted
交通部长视察“春节疏运” 双铁携手疏运近900万人次
jiāo tōng bù cháng shì chá chūn jié shū yùn shuāng tiě xié shǒu shū yùn jìn 9 0 0 wàn rén cì
The Minister of Transportation inspected the "Spring Festival Transportation" and the two railways worked together to transport nearly 9 million people
我外婆患有骨质疏松症。
Wǒ wàipó huànyǒu gǔzhìshūsōngzhèng.
My grandmother suffers from osteoporosis.
我们有不到五分钟来疏散整栋楼的人。
Wǒmen yǒu bù dào wǔ fēnzhōng lái shūsàn zhěng dòng lóu de rén.
We have less than five minutes to evacuate the whole building.
人们因为洪水被疏散了。
Rénmen yīnwèi hóngshuǐ bèi shūsàn le.
People were evacuated because of the flood.
他责备了我的疏忽。
Tā zébèi le wǒ de shūhu.
He reprimanded me for my oversight.
Character Family
疋 Radical Family — Characters sharing the bolt of cloth radical
Related Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 疏 (shū) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 疏 and 厚?
How many strokes does 疏 have?
What is the radical of 疏?
What are the components of 疏?
What are common words containing 疏?
What characters sound the same as 疏 (shū)?
Is 疏 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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