吓 meaning and stroke order
To frighten; to scare
How to write 吓, stroke by stroke
6 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
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- 4
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- 6
Meaning of 吓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to frighten
- to scare
- to scare
- to intimidate
- to threaten
- (interjection showing disapproval) tut-tut
- (interjection showing astonishment)
How 吓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 下 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吓
吓 is pictophonetic: 口 (mouth) gives the meaning and 下 (xià) gives the sound. Picture a mouth shouting "boo" so loudly that someone drops down 下 in fright.
In everyday speech 吓 (xià) means to scare or startle, and it often appears with a result like 吓坏 or in the set phrase 吓一跳. Example: 你吓了我一跳。(Nǐ xià le wǒ yí tiào.) You gave me a fright.
Common mistake: Learners often read 恐吓 as kǒngxià, but in this word 吓 is pronounced hè, meaning to threaten. Also avoid writing 下 alone. Without the 口 on the left it just means down or below.
Common words with 吓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吓人 | xiàrén | to scare; scary | HSK 7-9 |
| 吓唬 | xiàhu | to scare; to frighten | HSK 7-9 |
| 恐吓 | kǒnghè | to threaten; to menace | HSK 7-9 |
| 吓坏 | xiàhuài | to be terrified; to terrify sb | |
| 惊吓 | jīngxià | to frighten; to horrify | |
| 吓跑 | xiàpǎo | to scare away | |
| 吓倒 | xiàdǎo | to be frightened | |
| 吓一跳 | xiàyītiào | startled; to frighten | |
| 吓傻 | xiàshǎ | to terrify; to scare sb |
吓 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吓
How many strokes are in 吓?
吓 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吓 mean?
吓 (xià) means to frighten; to scare. A common word with it is 吓人 (xiàrén), meaning "to scare; scary".
How do you pronounce 吓?
吓 is pronounced xià, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 吓?
The radical of 吓 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吓 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 吓?
The traditional form of 吓 is 嚇. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 吓 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 吓 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吓 is part of the HSK 5 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 吓人 and 害怕?
吓人 (xiàrén) describes something that scares others, like a scary movie. 害怕 (hàipà) describes how you feel when you are afraid. So 这个电影很吓人 means the film is scary, and 我很害怕 means I am scared.
When is 吓 pronounced hè?
It is read hè in more formal words about threatening or intimidating, such as 恐吓 (kǒnghè). It is also read hè as an interjection showing disapproval or surprise. In casual words about being scared, like 吓人 and 吓唬, it is xià.