書 (shū) - Book — a bound collection of written or & to write

書Tone 1

shū ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

姝树

書 · shū

Book — a bound collection of written or printed pages;

to write;

also refers to documents, calligraphy, and letters.

Book — a bound collection of written orto writealso refers to documents, calligraphy, and letters.

Usage highlights

BookstoreCalligraphyLetterDocumentTextbookLibrary

Synonyms

  • 书籍— books (general term)
  • 本— volume, copy (of a book)
  • 册— volume, book

Antonyms

  • 武— martial (as opposed to scholarly)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I am reading a book (书).
  • She practices Chinese calligraphy (书法).
  • He wrote a letter (书信) to his friend.
  • This is a bookstore (书店).
  • Please sign your name on the document (文书).

Collocations

  • Bookstore(书店)
  • Calligraphy(书法)
  • Letter(书信)
  • Document(文书)
  • Textbook(教科书)
  • Library(图书馆)

Idioms

  • A house full of gold and books(书香门第)
  • To have read ten thousand books(读书破万卷)
  • To abandon one's studies for half a day(书编三绝)
  • To be well-read and polite(知书达礼)
  • To believe everything in books(尽信书不如无书)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, books were highly valued in Chinese culture as symbols of knowledge and scholarship.
  • The character 书 is associated with the educated elite and civil service examinations.
  • Calligraphy, the art of writing, is considered a high art form in China.

FAQ