What is 出?

出 (Chū) - Out, Exit, Emerge

出 (chū) is a fundamental Chinese character with a versatile range of meanings relating to movement outwards and emergence. It fundamentally means "to go out," "to exit," or "to emerge". It's a character encountered very frequently in everyday Chinese.

Core Meanings and Usage:

Exit/Go out: This is the most basic meaning. Examples include 出门 (chū mén - to go out the door), 出去 (chū qù - to go out), and 出口 (chū kǒu - exit). More information about this basic meaning can be found here.
Emerge/Appear: 出 can also describe something coming into existence or becoming visible. For example, 出现 (chū xiàn - to appear) or 出生 (chū shēng - to be born). More information can be found at Emergence.
Produce/Offer: 出 implies the action of putting something out for use or consumption, like 出钱 (chū qián - to contribute money) or 出产品 (chū chǎn pǐn - to produce products). Read more at Produce.
Beyond/Exceed: In some cases, it can indicate something surpassing a limit or expectation. For instance, 出色 (chū sè - outstanding). Learn more at Beyond%20-%20Exceed.
Occur: Can also mean to happen or occur, like 出事 (chū shì - to have an accident; something happens). More information can be found at Occur.

Radical and Structure

The character is composed of a single element, which also serves as its radical (凵). It visually represents something coming out of an enclosure.

Common Words & Phrases:

Here are a few more very common words that include 出:

出发 (chū fā - to set out; to depart)
出版 (chū bǎn - to publish)
出来 (chū lái - to come out)
出名 (chū míng - to become famous)
出口 (chū kǒu - export)