僚 meaning and stroke order
Companion, colleague; officials; bureaucracy; a pretty face
How to write 僚, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 僚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bureaucrat
- colleague
How 僚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 尞 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 僚
僚 is a pictophonetic character: the person radical 亻 on the left points to people, and 尞 (liáo) on the right gives the sound. Picture a row of people working side by side in an office, your colleagues and fellow officials.
僚 rarely stands alone and mostly appears in set words like 官僚 (guānliáo, bureaucrat) and 同僚 (tóngliáo, colleague). 同僚 sounds formal and a bit literary, so everyday speech prefers 同事 (tóngshì). Example: 他很讨厌官僚作风。(Tā hěn tǎoyàn guānliáo zuòfēng.) He really dislikes bureaucratic behavior.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 僚 with 療 (liáo, to treat illness, simplified 疗) and 燎 (liáo, to burn), which share the same 尞 part and the same sound. Remember that only 僚 has the person radical 亻, because it is about people.
Common words with 僚
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
僚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 僚
How many strokes are in 僚?
僚 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 僚 mean?
僚 (liáo) means companion, colleague; officials; bureaucracy; a pretty face. A common word with it is 官僚 (guānliáo), meaning "bureaucrat; bureaucracy".
How do you pronounce 僚?
僚 is pronounced liáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 僚?
The radical of 僚 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 僚 under this radical.
Is 僚 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 僚 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 官僚 always negative?
In modern Chinese 官僚 usually carries a negative tone, suggesting red tape or officials who are out of touch. 官僚主义 (guānliáo zhǔyì) specifically criticizes bureaucratic attitudes. For a neutral word for officials, use 官员 (guānyuán).
What does 僚机 mean?
僚机 (liáojī) is a military aviation term for the wingman aircraft that flies alongside and supports the lead plane. It is also used playfully online for a friend who helps you approach someone you like, similar to the English slang "wingman".