书
shū
Definition
A book; a written or printed work bound together as a physical or digital object.
Example
我每天晚上都看一本书。
Show translation
I read a book every evening.
Etymology
Oracle-bone and bronze inscriptions show 書 as a hand grasping a brush over a surface, directly conveying the act of writing. The simplified form 书 compresses that image. The root meaning was "to write," which then extended to "the thing written" — a book or document.
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, books carry deep Confucian prestige: the saying 书中自有黄金屋 ("Within books there are houses of gold") has driven generations of students to study intensively. Note that 书 is also found in many compounds: 图书馆 (library), 书法 (calligraphy), and 教科书 (textbook). The measure word (classifier) for books is 本 (běn), so always say 一本书, never 一个书.