召 meaning and stroke order
Imperial decree; to summon, to call, to beckon
How to write 召, stroke by stroke
5 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
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 召
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to call together
- to summon
- to convene
- temple or monastery (used in place names in Inner Mongolia)
How 召 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 刀 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 召
召 is a pictophonetic character: 刀 (dāo) on top gives a hint of the sound, and 口 (kǒu, mouth) below gives the meaning. Picture someone opening their mouth 口 to call people over.
召 (zhào) is rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in formal words about calling people together, like 召开 (zhàokāi), 召集 (zhàojí) and 号召 (hàozhào). Example: 公司明天召开会议。(Gōngsī míngtiān zhàokāi huìyì.) The company is holding a meeting tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 召 with 招 (zhāo, to beckon, to recruit), which adds the hand radical 扌 and has the first tone. Use 招 for 招手 (zhāoshǒu, to wave) and 招聘 (zhāopìn, to hire), but 召 for 召开会议 (to convene a meeting).
Common words with 召
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 召开 | zhàokāi | to convene (a conference or meeting); to convoke | HSK 4 |
| 号召 | hàozhào | to call; to appeal | HSK 5 |
| 召集 | zhàojí | to convene; to call together | HSK 7-9 |
| 召唤 | zhàohuàn | to summon; to beckon | |
| 召回 | zhàohuí | to recall (a product, an ambassador etc) | |
| 召见 | zhàojiàn | call in (one's subordinates); summon (an envoy of a foreign country) to an interview | |
| 征召 | zhēngzhào | to enlist; to draft | |
| 应召女郎 | yìngzhàonǚláng | call girl | |
| 召妓 | zhàojì | to hire a prostitute |
召 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 召
Learning 召 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 召
How many strokes are in 召?
召 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 召 mean?
召 (zhào) means imperial decree; to summon, to call, to beckon. A common word with it is 召开 (zhàokāi), meaning "to convene (a conference or meeting); to convoke".
How do you pronounce 召?
召 is pronounced zhào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 召?
The radical of 召 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 召 under this radical.
Is 召 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 召 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 召开 and 举行?
召开 (zhàokāi) is used for meetings and conferences that people are called to attend, such as 召开会议. 举行 (jǔxíng) is broader and covers events like ceremonies, weddings and competitions.
Why does 召 appear in place names in Inner Mongolia?
In Inner Mongolia, 召 (zhào) can mean a temple or monastery. You see it in place names such as 五当召 (Wǔdāng Zhào), a well known monastery.