书 shū — book; letter
图书馆里有很多书。Tú shū guǎn lǐ yǒu hěn duō shū.There are many books in the library.
Common words: 读书 (dú shū)、图书馆 (tú shū guǎn)、书店 (shū diàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "book"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "book", including 书 (shū), 册 (cè). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "book" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 书 (shū), 册 (cè) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shū, cè — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 书 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 书 shūbook; letterUseful words: 读书, 图书馆
- 册 cèbook; a measure word for books; bookletUseful words: 注册, 手册
Common words for these 2 "book" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 书 (shū) — so "book" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "book".
册 cè — book; a measure word for books; booklet
老师给每人发了一册练习本。Lǎo shī gěi měi rén fā le yí cè liàn xí běn.The teacher gave each person an exercise book.
Common words: 注册 (zhù cè)、手册 (shǒu cè)、画册 (huà cè)
All 2 characters
Open 书、册 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.