Depicts a grain seedling (禾) pulled out (引) of the ground. The meaning later expanded to "bloom", "blossom", "elegant", and "excellent".
Components
Notes
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Historical Evolution
秀
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
秀
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
秀
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
秀
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
秀
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
秀
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
秀
Clerical
Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
秀
Regular
Modern
Chinese
秀 [xiù]
handsome; refined; elegant; graceful; superior; show (loanword); CL:場|场[cháng]; (literary) to grow; to bloom; (of crops) to produce ears
Japanese
preeminence; supremacy; distinction; excellence (on a scale measuring quality, results, etc.; higher than 優)
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
秀 さかえ
Sakae female given name
秀 さかり
Sakari given name
秀 しげる
Shigeru given name
秀 しゅう
Shuu given name
秀 しゅうじ
Shuuji unclassified name
秀 しゅうほう
Shuuhou given name
秀 しゅうらん
Shuuran unclassified name
秀 すぐる
Suguru given name
秀 たかし
Takashi given name
秀 ひいず
Hiizu female given name
秀 ひずる
Hizuru given name
秀 ひづる
Hizuru female given name
秀 ひで
Hide female given namesurname
秀 ひでかつ
Hidekatsu unclassified name
秀 ひでさき
Hidesaki surname
秀 ひでし
Hideshi given name
秀 ひでじ
Hideji unclassified name
秀 ひでたか
Hidetaka surname
秀 ひでつぐ
Hidetsugu unclassified name
秀 まさる
Masaru given name
秀 みのる
Minoru given name
CHINESE WORDS (133)
优秀 [yōuxiù] #1,846
outstanding
优秀 [yōuxiù] #1,846
outstanding
秀发 [xiùfà] #14,462
beautiful hair
秀发 [xiùfà] #14,462
beautiful hair
秀丽 [xiùlì] #35,878
pretty
秀丽 [xiùlì] #35,878
pretty
秀美 [xiùměi] #37,278
elegant
秀才 [xiùcai] #63,904
a person who has passed the county level imperial exam (historical)
清秀 [qīngxiù] #64,856
delicate and pretty
后起之秀 [hòuqǐzhīxiù] #23,497
an up-and-coming youngster
123 more
items
JAPANESE WORDS (34)
⭐ 優秀 [ゆうしゅう] #1,931
superior
⭐ 秀でる [ひいでる] #15,144
to excel
⭐ 秀才 [しゅうさい] #22,521
bright person
最優秀 [さいゆうしゅう] #32,022
best
秀麗 [しゅうれい] #38,358
graceful
偏 [へん] #41,844
left-hand radical of a character
豊臣秀吉 [とよとみひでよし] #47,427
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
⭐ 秀逸 [しゅういつ] #47,716
excellent
成績優秀者 [せいせきゆうしゅうしゃ] #50,959
high achiever
眉目秀麗 [びもくしゅうれい] #51,635
handsome
24 more
items
KOREAN WORDS (3)