Kanji Kaisen

漢字Kanji · in Nature & Elements

秀: excel, excellence

Also: beauty, surpass

JLPT N17 strokesSecondary schoolYour ink: 白 Not met

禾 carries the meaning · 乃 is drawn in

7 strokes

Two readings, and the words that use each

シュウshuu · on'yomi · in compounds

  • 優秀ゆうしゅう
  • 秀作しゅうさくexcellent (piece of) work
  • 秀才しゅうさいbright person; talented student; prodigy
  • 秀逸しゅういつexcellent; superb; first-rate

ひいでるhiideru · kun'yomi · on its own

  • 秀でるひいでるto excel; to surpass; to be superior

Words: JMdict, EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Learn it 4 steps
Print sheet Present
成り立ち

Where it comes from

Memory story · made up to help you remember

“The harvest is ready! Imagine a field of golden rice bowing its head in the autumn breeze.”
More in the 禾 grain story
繋がり
Ink shades, lightest to darkest: 白 Not met, 淡 Met, 中 Learning, 濃 Familiar, 印 Mastered
禾

Also built on grain (禾)

All 32

秀 gives its sound to

Sound parts: KanjiVG.

Also read シュウ

39 kanji share this on'yomiAll 39

Easy to confuse

The difference, side by side
秀 excel · 禾 + 乃
vs朱 vermilion · 丿 + 未
秀 has 禾 + 乃 where 朱 has 丿 + 未.
In ChineseSame character in simplified and traditional · xiù

Same form: 秀 is written the same way in mainland China (simplified) and in Taiwan and Hong Kong (traditional).

Simplified
秀 mainland China, Singapore
Traditional
秀 Taiwan, Hong Kong

Pinyin xiù most common reading

Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.

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