What 述 means
In modern Chinese, 述 means to state, describe, or recount.
Mandarin reads it shù. Japanese uses the same character differently: 述べる is the verb read のべる, meaning “to state or express,” while compounds read ジュツ. These readings belong to their own languages; they are not interchangeable words.
Read the full word: 口述 is an oral account, 描述 a description, and 论述 a systematic discussion.
Why does 述 also mean follow?
The older “follow” sense connects to carrying something forward.
The written history of 述 reaches bronze inscriptions—writing cast on bronze objects. Traditional analysis breaks it into 辵, a movement component, and 朮, a sound component chosen for its pronunciation rather than meaning.
Bronze inscriptions also use 述 for words later written 遂 and 墜; a Warring States bamboo text uses it for 術. These are borrowed spellings: one graph can write a different word, so they do not prove those words share 述’s meaning. The semantic bridge is carrying a path or precedent forward, then passing on an account.
述 appears in words for accounts and explanations; the whole word sets the degree of formality.
Translate the whole word before choosing “follow” or “describe” for 述.
Who writes 述
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Don't confuse it with
1
Related characters
3
Combination ideas
3Questions people ask
1Can a different font make 述 a different character?
No. A font can change the stroke proportions or style while displaying the same 述.
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How to type or find 述
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- 述 meaning · 述 Chinese · 述 Japanese · shù · noberu · jutsu
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
述\8FF0Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.