Sentence #5580944 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 读书 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
读dúto read out; to read aloud
讠speech form of 言 · yán
卖to sell · mài
Memory aidSpeech 讠 on the left, because reading was done aloud. In the full form 讀 the right-hand part gave the sound; it now looks like 賣 (mài) “to sell”, but was once a different part, read yù.
书shūbook
书 is a single shape of 4 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidSimplified from 書: a hand holding a brush 聿 over words: to write, a book.
How to write 读书
读 10 strokes · 书 4 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 读书 (dúshū). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
读书 (dúshū) means “to read a book” or “to study”. It is an HSK 3.0 Level 1 word.
Say it dúshū: dú with a 2nd tone, then shū with a 1st tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 读书 is written 讀書. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type dushu with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 读书 from the suggestions. Typing dushu into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
读书 is an HSK 3.0 Level 1 word in the official 2021 syllabus, and it is on our HSK 3.0 Band 1 word list. It is not on the older HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
A dictionary gives you the words. A native teacher shows you how to use them. Start with a free 30-minute intro call.
Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
读dú2nd tone, rising
书shū1st tone, high and level
