寿

壽

shòu

丰 + 寸

Definitions

shòu (noun) longevity; long life

shòu (noun) birthday; lifespan

Etymology

Simplified form of 壽.

About

寿 signifies longevity. It is the simplified form of the traditional 壽, which was a phono-semantic compound combining an element meaning 'old age' and a component for 'spoken words' with a phonetic that also conveyed the idea of prolonged existence. In the simplification, the complex upper structure was replaced by a few strokes, while the 寸 radical (originally meaning 'inch') remained at the base. This simplified character retains all the original meanings and appears frequently in birthday wishes for the elderly.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

寿司很好吃。

Shòusī hěn hǎochī。

Sushi is very delicious.

奶奶今年过八十大寿。

Nǎinai jīnnián guò bāshí dà shòu。

Grandma is celebrating her eightieth birthday this year.

爷爷喜欢练太极拳来长寿。

Yéye xǐhuān liàn tàijíquán lái chángshòu。

Grandpa likes to practice Tai Chi to live a long life.

生日宴会上有一个大寿桃。

Shēngrì yànhuì shàng yǒu yī gè dà shòutáo。

There is a big longevity peach at the birthday banquet.

人们用松鹤延年图祝福长寿。

Rénmen yòng sōnghè yánnián tú zhùfú chángshòu。

People use paintings of pines and cranes to wish for longevity.

送给老人的寿礼要用心挑选。

Sòng gěi lǎorén de shòulǐ yào yòngxīn tiāoxuǎn。

Gifts for the elderly's birthday should be chosen carefully.

这位百岁寿星身体依然硬朗。

Zhè wèi bǎi suì shòuxing shēntǐ yīrán yìnglǎng。

This centenarian is still in good health.

在传统文化中，寿与健康紧密相连。

Zài chuántǒng wénhuà zhōng, shòu yǔ jiànkāng jǐnmì xiānglián。

In traditional culture, longevity is closely connected to good health.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 丰

Component: 寸

Example Words