Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 述 (shù) evolved from ancient pictographs representing the concept of 'following a path' or 'pursuing.' Its modern form combines the radical 辶 (walking movement) with 术 (method/art), creating the meaning 'to state' or 'to narrate' - essentially following a methodical path in speech. In classical Chinese, it meant both 'to follow' and 'to explain systematically,' reflecting how one follows a logical sequence when describing something. Arrived in Japan: The character 述 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE as part of the introduction of Chinese writing system through Buddhist texts and Confucian classics. It was incorporated into the Japanese language as 'jutsu' or 'noberu' and appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyōshū (8th century).