不须 (bù xū) — need not, don't have to | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A more formal, written way to say 'need not' (you can skip this). Weaker/colloquial equivalents include 不用 and 不必.

auxiliary verb

need notdon't have to

不须。
Nǐ bú bù xū wèi zhè jiàn shì dān xīn.
You don't need to worry about this matter.
，不须。
Jì rán nǐ yǐ jīng zhī dào le, wǒ jiù bú bù xū zài jiě shì le.
Since you already know, I don't need to explain again.
，不须。
Zhè jiàn xiǎo shì, bú bù xū fàng zài xīn shàng.
This trivial matter doesn't need to be taken to heart.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The 不 'not' and 须 'need' combine to mean 'need not'.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 須; 须 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 须 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (必须) it is 須; in others it is 鬚.

彡頁須

The traditional form 須 shows 頁 (head) with 彡 (hair) beside it, drawing a head with hair on the side, a picture of a beard or whiskers.