溯 (sù): to go upstream, to trace the source
溯 (sù) is a Chinese character meaning “to go upstream.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 氵 (structural) and 朔 (structural). It ranks #2609 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 溯 to seek the source 朔 of a river 氵. Its radical form 氵 (water) appears in many related characters such as 水 (shuǐ, water), 汉 (hàn, Han ethnic group), 汽 (qì, steam).
Definitions
- to go upstream
- to trace the source
Etymology & Origin
ideographicTo seek the source 朔 of a river 氵
Decomposition: ⿰氵朔 (layout: left-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 溯 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 追溯verb | zhuī sù | lit. to go upstream |
| 回溯verb | huí sù | to recall |
| 溯源verb | sù yuán | to investigate the origin of sth |
| 推本溯源 | tuī běn sù yuán | to go back to the source |
| 追本溯源phrase | zhuī běn sù yuán | to trace sth back to its origin |
| 追根溯源 | zhuī gēn sù yuán | to pursue sth back to its origins |
| 寻根溯源 | xún gēn sù yuán | see 追根溯源 |
| 逆流溯源 | nì liú sù yuán | to go back to the source |
| 推溯 | tuī sù | to trace back to |
| 溯溪 | sù xī | river tracing |
溯 appears in 10 compound words: 20 as the first character, 30 as the last, and 50 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 溯 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (3)
Example Sentences
站在桥上望去，溯水缓缓向东流去。
zhàn zài qiáo shǎng wàng qù , sù shuǐ huǎn huǎn xiàng dōng liú qù .
Standing on the bridge, I watched the river flow gently eastward.
这种基因模式已延续了约 9000 年，可追溯至农业兴起之时。
zhè zhǒng jī yīn mó shì yǐ yán xù le yuē 9 0 0 0 nián , kě zhuī sù zhì nóng yè xīng qǐ zhī shí .
This genetic pattern has persisted for about 9,000 years and dates back to the rise of agriculture.
溯源文明根脉 解码燕赵大地——河北考古在多...
sù yuán wén míng gēn mài jiě mǎ yān zhào dà dì — — hé běi kǎo gǔ zài duō . . .
Tracing the Roots of Civilization: Decoding the Land of Yan and Zhao—Archaeological Discoveries in Hebei...
溯文脉之源 强自信之基——访北京师范大学副...
sù wén mài zhī yuán qiáng zì xìn zhī jī — — fǎng běi jīng shī fàn dà xué fù . . .
Tracing the Roots of Our Cultural Heritage, Strengthening the Foundation of Our Confidence—An Interview with the Vice President of Beijing Normal University...
宁夏兴庆:小小溯源码让乡村好物提质出圈
nìng xià xīng qìng : xiǎo xiǎo sù yuán mǎ ràng xiāng cūn hǎo wù tí zhì chū juān
Xingqing, Ningxia: Tiny QR Codes Help Rural Products Improve Quality and Gain Wider Recognition
配送月子餐哪家好?食材是否可溯源到有机农场或合作基地
pèi sòng yuè zǐ cān nǎ jiā hǎo ? shí cái shì fǒu kě sù yuán dào yǒu jī nóng chǎng huò gě zuò jī dì
Which one is the best for delivering confinement meals? Whether the ingredients can be traced back to organic farms or cooperative bases
山上的老教堂的历史可以追溯到12世纪。
Shānshàng de lǎo jiàotáng de lìshǐ kěyǐ zhuīsù dào 12 shìjì.
The old church on the hill dates back to the twelfth century.
若追根溯源，绝大多数美国人都是移民。
Ruò zhuīgēnsùyuán, juédàduōshù Měiguórén dōu shì yímín.
Most Americans are descended from immigrants.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 溯 (sù) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 溯 and 来?
How many strokes does 溯 have?
What is the radical of 溯?
What are the components of 溯?
What are common words containing 溯?
What characters sound the same as 溯 (sù)?
Is 溯 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 溯 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.