ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

to go out / to come out

chū
5 strokes · 凵 (open-box radical) — a foot leaving an enclosure · HSK 1

Where 出 comes from

出 is a picture of a foot stepping up and OUT of a cave or enclosure (the lower 凵) — leaving, going out. You can read it as two 'mountains' stacked, but it's really a foot crossing a threshold outward.

出 in Chinese culture

出 is the partner of 进 — 'out' to its 'in'. 出去 (go out, with 去), 出来 (come out, with 来), 出口 (exit, 'out-mouth', with 口 — the sign you follow to leave any station or mall), 出国 (go abroad, 'exit country', with 国). 进出 = in and out. 出 also means to produce or emit: 出生 (to be born, 'come out into life', with 生), 出现 (to appear, with 现 — which you learned!). Whenever something comes forth, it's 出.

Example

出去 chūqù — to go out

我们出去吃饭吧。
Wǒmen chūqù chī fàn ba.
Let's go out to eat.

How to remember it

A foot stepping up and out of an enclosure — to GO OUT.

出口 ('out-mouth') is the EXIT sign in every station and mall — follow it to get out. 出国 = go abroad ('exit the country'). 进/出 = in/out, a pair you'll use daily.

Same sound, different tones

1st chū
to go out
2nd chú
kitchen
3rd chǔ
foundation
4th chù
place

Words unlocked by 出

出去 chūqù
to go out
出口 chūkǒu
exit
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