秋
autumn; fall
HSK level
- Pinyin
- qiū
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 9
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 个
Stroke order for 秋
秋 is written with 9 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 秋 mean?
秋 (qiū) means 'autumn / fall.'
On its own it is mostly literary or used in compounds (秋天 autumn, 秋季 autumn season, 中秋 Mid-Autumn, 春秋 spring and autumn / the seasons of a year / a historical era). In daily conversation, native speakers almost always say 秋天 (qiūtiān) for 'autumn,' just as they say 春天, 夏天, 冬天.
Culturally, 秋 is associated with harvest, cooling weather, falling leaves, and the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, when families gather to eat mooncakes under the full moon). It also carries a poetic flavor of melancholy in classical literature — 秋风 (qiūfēng, autumn wind) is a stock image of loneliness.
Note: The bare character 秋 is more literary or used in compounds. In everyday speech, people say 秋天 (qiūtiān) for 'autumn.' Use 秋 in fixed expressions and written contexts.
Memory hook: 禾 (grain) + 火 (fire) — grain ripens golden under the autumn sun.
Example sentences
我最喜欢秋天。
Wǒ zuì xǐhuan qiūtiān.
I like autumn the most.
spoken
中秋节是中国的传统节日。
Zhōngqiū Jié shì Zhōngguó de chuántǒng jiérì.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday.
neutral
北京的秋天很美。
Běijīng de qiūtiān hěn měi.
Autumn in Beijing is beautiful.
neutral
一年有四个季节：春、夏、秋、冬。
Yì nián yǒu sì gè jìjié: chūn, xià, qiū, dōng.
There are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
written
Common phrases with 秋
Synonyms
秋天 is the everyday spoken word; 秋 alone is literary or compound-only. In conversation use 秋天.
秋季 is more formal/written, used in news, school terms, sports seasons. 秋天 is colloquial.
Don't confuse 秋 with
愁 means 'worry / sorrow' and looks similar (秋 + 心 underneath). Different tone, different meaning.
球 means 'ball,' pronounced qiú (second tone) vs 秋 qiū (first tone). Common beginner mix-up.
Frequently asked questions
Acquire it by listening
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