嘯 meaning and stroke order
To roar, to howl; to scream; to whistle
How to write 嘯, stroke by stroke
16 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 嘯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of people) to whistle
- (of birds and animals) to screech; to howl; to roar
How 嘯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 肅 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嘯
The mouth 口 on the left tells you this is a sound made with the mouth, and 肅 (sù) on the right gives the sound. Picture a stern, solemn 肅 figure suddenly opening its mouth 口 to let out a long howl.
嘯 is the traditional form; in simplified Chinese it is written 啸. It rarely appears alone in modern speech and is mostly found in words like 海啸 (hǎixiào, tsunami) and 呼啸 (hūxiào, to whistle or whiz). Example: 风在窗外呼啸。(Fēng zài chuāng wài hūxiào.) The wind is howling outside the window.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 啸 (xiào) with 笑 (xiào, to laugh) because they sound exactly the same. Remember that 啸 has the mouth radical and means a howl or whistle, while 笑 has the bamboo top and means laughing.
Common words with 嘯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 海嘯 | hǎixiào | tsunami | HSK 7-9 |
| 呼嘯 | hūxiào | to whistle; to scream; to whiz |
Questions about 嘯
How many strokes are in 嘯?
嘯 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嘯 mean?
嘯 (xiào) means to roar, to howl; to scream; to whistle. A common word with it is 海啸 (hǎixiào), meaning "tsunami".
How do you pronounce 嘯?
嘯 is pronounced xiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 嘯?
The radical of 嘯 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嘯 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 嘯?
嘯 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 啸, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why is a tsunami called 海啸 in Chinese?
海啸 literally means sea roar. It describes the huge, roaring sound and force of the ocean during a tsunami.
Can 啸 be used for animals?
Yes. It describes animals or birds howling or screeching, as in 虎啸 (hǔxiào), a tiger's roar. This use is common in literary or set phrases rather than everyday talk.