勺 meaning and stroke order
Spoon; ladle; abbr. for 公勺[gong1 shao2], centiliter (unit of volume)
How to write 勺, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 勺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- spoon
- ladle
- abbr. for 公勺[gong1 shao2], centiliter (unit of volume)
How 勺 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A spoon 勹 with something in it 丶.
Radical: 勹 (wrap), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 勺
The curved 勹 is the bowl of a spoon or ladle, and the little dot 丶 inside is the food or soup it is holding. Picture scooping one drop of soup and you have 勺 (sháo).
In everyday speech people usually say 勺子 (sháozi) for a spoon or ladle, and 勺 alone often works as a measure, as in 一勺糖 (yì sháo táng), a spoonful of sugar. Example: 请给我一把勺子。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bǎ sháozi.) Please give me a spoon.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 勺 (sháo) with 匀 (yún, even), which has two strokes inside 勹 instead of one dot. Also remember the second tone: it is sháo, not shǎo like 少 (few).
Common words with 勺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon; ladle | |
| 后脑勺 | hòunǎosháo | back of the head |
勺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 勺
Learning 勺 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 勺
How many strokes are in 勺?
勺 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 勺 mean?
勺 (sháo) means spoon; ladle; abbr. for 公勺[gong1 shao2], centiliter (unit of volume). A common word with it is 勺子 (sháozi), meaning "spoon; ladle".
How do you pronounce 勺?
勺 is pronounced sháo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 勺?
The radical of 勺 is 勹, which carries the idea of "wrap". Dictionaries list 勺 under this radical.
Is 勺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 勺 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 后脑勺 mean and why does it use 勺?
后脑勺 (hòunǎosháo) means the back of the head. The rounded back of the skull is compared to the curved bowl of a ladle.
What is the difference between 勺子 and 汤匙?
Both can mean spoon. 勺子 (sháozi) is the general everyday word and also covers ladles, while 汤匙 (tāngchí) specifically means a soup spoon and is more common in southern China and Taiwan.