一本书
一one本measure word for books书book=one book
书
书 (shū) Chinese Character: book; written text
A four-stroke 书 opens the door to written stories and knowledge.
Practice 书 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: From Writing to a Book
书 (shū) means “book” or “written text.” The traditional character 書 carries more visible writing history, while simplified 书 compresses the form into four quick strokes. In spoken Chinese, remember that books are counted with 本: 一本书 is “one book,” and 三本书 is “three books.” The common verb 看书 literally uses “look” plus “book,” but together it means “to read a book.”
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
看书
看read or look at书book=read a book
Chinese character origin and etymology
书 is the simplified form of 書. The older character was connected with writing on bamboo or silk, and its meanings expanded from the act of writing to written documents and books.
Four connected strokes make the simplified form 书, with a long vertical hook holding the shape together. 书 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
书 is written with 4 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 书 — book; written text — learn the complete modern shape as one unit
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 书 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
这是一本书。
This is a book.
我喜欢看书。
I like reading books.
桌上有三本书。
There are three books on the table.
Learning tips for 书
Learn the reading as one unit: shū, with the first tone: high and level. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “book; written text,” and write the 4 strokes from memory.
Because 书 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 本 (běn, measure word for books); 看 (kàn, to look; read); 学 (xué, to learn). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 书 without pinyin?
- Can you say shū with the correct tone and explain “book; written text”?
- Can you write all 4 strokes in order?
- Can you use 书 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.