倏

倐/儵

shū

丨 + 亻 + 夂 + 犬

Definitions

shū sudden; abrupt; Taiwan pr. [shù]

shū variant of 倏[shū]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 犬 represents the meaning and 攸 represents the sound. Simplified form of 倐.

Semantic: 犬 Phonetic: 攸

About

The character 倏 is a phonosemantic compound and the simplified form of 倐. The meaning comes from 犬 (dog), and the sound from 攸. Structurally, it has the person radical 亻 on the left, while the right side combines 夂 (walking) and 犬, a combination that historically conveyed sudden, swift motion like that of a startled animal or a person acting quickly. In modern Chinese, 倏 functions almost exclusively as an adverb, emphasizing that an action, change, or event happens abruptly, in an instant, or unexpectedly.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

光线倏地暗了。

Guāngxiàn shū dì àn le.

The light suddenly dimmed.

小鸟倏然飞走了。

Xiǎo niǎo shūrán fēi zǒu le.

The bird suddenly flew away.

他的笑容倏忽消失。

Tā de xiàoróng shūhū xiāoshī.

His smile suddenly disappeared.

天气倏变，下起雨来。

Tiānqì shū biàn, xià qǐ yǔ lái.

The weather changed suddenly, and it started to rain.

她倏地转过身来。

Tā shū dì zhuǎn guò shēn lái.

She suddenly turned around.

消息倏然而至，令人惊讶。

Xiāoxī shūrán ér zhì, lìng rén jīngyà.

The news arrived suddenly, which was surprising.

时光倏逝，转眼已十年。

Shíguāng shū shì, zhuǎnyǎn yǐ shí nián.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.

他的情绪倏忽不定，难以捉摸。

Tā de qíngxù shūhū bù dìng, nányǐ zhuōmō.

His emotions are changeable and hard to grasp.

Related Characters

Component: 丨

Component: 亻

Component: 夂

Component: 犬

倏