book in Chinese

How to write 书

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

书 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

书 in a sentence

• 这zhè本běn书shū很hěn好hǎo看kàn。

  This book is great.

• 我wǒ在zài看kàn书shū。

  I am reading a book.

• 他tā买mǎi了le很hěn多duō书shū。

  He bought many books.

• 书shū是shì我wǒ的de好hǎo朋péng友yǒu。

  Books are my good friends.

书 vs 书店 vs 读书

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 书店 shū diàn bookstore

  书 'book' + 店 'shop' — where you buy them.

• 读书 dú shū to read; to study

  读 + 书 = 'to read' or 'attend school' — 我在读书 can mean 'I'm a student'.