叙述 (xù shù) — Chinese Word

verb / noun HSK 5

Traditional 敘述

xù shù

to narrate · to recount · to describe · narrative · account

Meaning

叙述 means to tell or recount something in an orderly, sequential way, typically events or facts. It emphasizes presenting information in a logical progression. As a noun, it refers to the narrative or account itself.

Usage

叙述 is commonly used in both spoken and written contexts, though it's more formal than 说 (to say) or 讲 (to tell). It's frequently found in academic writing, news reports, and literary discussions when describing how a story is told or how events are presented. Often collocates with 事件 (events), 过程 (process), or 故事 (story).

Examples

01
他详细地叙述了整个事件的经过。
Tā xiáng xì de xù shù le zhěng gè shì jiàn de jīng guò.
He narrated the entire course of events in detail.
02
这本小说采用了第一人称叙述。
Zhè běn xiǎo shuō cǎi yòng le dì yī rén chēng xù shù.
This novel uses first-person narration.

Characters

Measure words

次cì一次叙述
种zhǒng一种叙述方式

Common collocations

叙述方式
xù shù fāng shì
narrative style
叙述事件
xù shù shì jiàn
to narrate events
详细叙述
xiáng xì xù shù
to narrate in detail
叙述过程
xù shù guò chéng
to describe the process

Origin

Both characters relate to speaking and recounting. 叙 originally depicted hands organizing threads in order, metaphorically extended to organizing words/events in sequence. 述 combines 'walk' and 'follow', suggesting following a path of explanation.