啧 meaning and stroke order
Interjection of approval or admiration
How to write 啧, stroke by stroke
11 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 啧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (interj. of admiration or of disgust)
- to click one's tongue
- to attempt to (find an opportunity to) speak
How 啧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 责 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 啧
The mouth 口 on the left tells you this is a sound, and 责 (zé) on the right gives the sound zé. Picture a mouth making a quick "tsk" while someone 责 scolds or judges.
啧 is mostly heard as the doubled form 啧啧 (zézé), the clicking sound people make to show admiration or disapproval. It often appears in set phrases like 啧啧称赞 (zézé chēngzàn), to click one's tongue in praise. Example: 大家看了都啧啧称奇。(Dàjiā kàn le dōu zézé chēng qí.) Everyone who saw it clicked their tongues in amazement.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 啧 with 渍 (zì, stain) or 债 (zhài, debt), which share the 责 part but have different meanings and sounds. Remember that only the one with 口 is the mouth sound, and it is read zé with a rising tone.
Common words with 啧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 啧啧 | zézé | to click one's tongue |
Questions about 啧
How many strokes are in 啧?
啧 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 啧 mean?
啧 (zé) means interjection of approval or admiration. A common word with it is 啧啧 (zézé), meaning "to click one's tongue".
How do you pronounce 啧?
啧 is pronounced zé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 啧?
The radical of 啧 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 啧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 啧?
The traditional form of 啧 is 嘖. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 啧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Does 啧啧 show approval or disapproval?
It can show either, and context decides. 啧啧称赞 and 啧啧称奇 are positive, while 啧啧 alone after something shocking can sound disapproving or disgusted.
What does 啧有烦言 mean?
啧有烦言 (zé yǒu fán yán) is an idiom meaning there are many complaints or much grumbling. Here 啧 relates to the sense of speaking out, not to admiration.