肃 (sù) — (bound form) solemn, respectful; (bound form) to eliminate, to clean up
Definition
In HSK 7 肃 is a bound morpheme, not a standalone word: it means 'solemn' (as in 肃静, 严肃) or 'to purge/eliminate' (as in 肃清 corruption). It only appears inside compounds like 肃静, 肃穆, 肃清, 肃反.
bound form
solemnrespectfulto eliminateto clean up
Easily confused
- 萧xiāolook-alikedesolate; bleak (bound form)
- 素sùsound-alike(noun) vegetarian food
- 箫xiāolook-alikea vertical bamboo flute (Chinese traditional instrument)
- 速sùsound-alike(bound form) fast, rapid; speed
- 宿sùsound-alike(bound form) Chinese astronomical constellation; one of the 28 lunar mansions
- 诉sùsound-alike(bound form) to tell, relate, inform
Examples
- 。Huì yì qì fen fēi cháng yán sù.The meeting atmosphere was very solemn.
- ，。Qǐng bǎo chí sù jìng, kǎo shì mǎ shàng kāi shǐ.Please keep quiet — the exam is about to start.
- 。Zhèng fǔ jué dìng chè dǐ sù qīng fǔ bài xiàn xiàng.The government decided to thoroughly eliminate corruption.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 肅; 肃 is its simplified writing.
- 𦘒𦘒𦘒
- 𣶒𣶒𣶒
The traditional form 肅 is made of 𦘒 and 𣶒, whose picture is unclear; one old explanation sees a person sweeping or walking with a staff near an abyss, trembling in fear. The simplified 肃 is a later shorthand.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.