寿 (shòu) means long life; old age; age. Simplified form has 7 strokes under radical 寸.
Traditionally reserved for elders' birthday celebrations or historical elders' names (e.g., 寿山); feels incongruous and overly senior for a young person's Chinese name.
Often seen alongside 福 and 喜 in traditional 'Three Blessings' medallions (福禄寿).
Origin & Visual Logic: Traditional 壽 depicts furrowed fields and long generational continuity—enduring vitality over many years.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 壽 / 寿 | shòu | long life; old age; age |
| 壽 / 寿 | Shòu | surname Shou |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 长寿 | chángshòu | longevity; long life | |
| 寿命 | shòumìng | lifespan | |
| 福寿 | fúshòu | blessing and longevity |
"寿" has 7 strokes in Simplified Chinese (Traditional form: 壽). Its primary dictionary radical is 寸, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Rating: Use with Caution (Masculine-leaning). Traditionally reserved for elders' birthday celebrations or historical elders' names (e.g., 寿山); feels incongruous and overly senior for a young person's Chinese name.
Tattoo rating: Better in a Phrase. Often seen alongside 福 and 喜 in traditional 'Three Blessings' medallions (福禄寿).
