栩

xǔ

木 + 羽

Definitions

xǔ used in 栩栩[xǔ xǔ]; jolcham oak (Quercus serrata)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 羽 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 羽

About

The character 栩 is a phonosemantic compound: the wood radical 木 on the left indicates a tree, while the feather component 羽 on the right supplies the pronunciation. In classical Chinese, it referred to a type of oak tree or a similar hardwood species native to regional forests. This original meaning later fell completely out of use. Today, 栩 appears only in set idiomatic expressions that convey vividness, lifelike quality, or dynamic expression, especially when describing art, literature, or physical appearances that feel strikingly real.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这幅画栩如生。

Zhè fú huà xǔ xǔ rú shēng.

This painting is vividly lifelike.

舞台上的角色演得栩栩如生。

Wǔtái shàng de juésè yǎn de xǔxǔrúshēng.

The character on stage was performed vividly.

他雕刻的小鸟栩然欲飞。

Tā diāokè de xiǎo niǎo xǔ rán yù fēi.

The little bird he carved is so lifelike it seems ready to fly.

这个故事人物描写栩栩，情节却有些平淡。

Zhège gùshì rénwù miáoxiě xǔxǔ, qíngjié què yǒuxiē píngdàn.

The characters in this story are vividly described, but the plot is somewhat bland.

在他的笔下，连普通的街景也变得栩然有生气。

Zài tā de bǐ xià, lián pǔtōng de jiējǐng yě biàn dé xǔ rán yǒu shēngqì.

Under his brush, even ordinary street scenes become vibrant with life.

这些蜡像栩如真人，常让参观者误以为真。

Zhèxiē làxiàng xǔ rú zhēnrén, cháng ràng cānguānzhě wùyǐwéizhēn.

These wax figures are as lifelike as real people, often misleading visitors into thinking they are real.

这位画家擅长以细腻的笔触，栩现人物的内心世界。

Zhè wèi huàjiā shàncháng yǐ xìnì de bǐchù, xǔ xiàn rénwù de nèixīn shìjiè.

This painter is skilled at using delicate brushstrokes to vividly portray the inner world of his subjects.

作品中的猛虎不仅形似，更在眼神中栩露出一股不羁的野性。

Zuòpǐn zhōng de měnghǔ bùjǐn xíngsì, gèng zài yǎnshén zhōng xǔ lòu chū yī gǔ bùjī de yěxìng.

The fierce tiger in the artwork is not only similar in form, but its eyes also vividly reveal a sense of untamed wildness.

Related Characters

Component: 木

Component: 羽

栩