孝 meaning and stroke order
Filial piety, obedience; mourning
How to write 孝, stroke by stroke
7 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 孝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- filial piety or obedience
- mourning apparel
How 孝 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A young man 子 carrying an older man 耂.
Radical: 子 (son), shared by 30 characters on this site.
How to remember 孝
The top part 耂 is a form of 老 (lǎo, old), and below it is 子 (zǐ, child). Picture a young person 子 carrying an old person 耂 on their back: that is filial piety.
孝 is most often used in words about respecting and caring for parents, such as 孝顺 (xiàoshùn) and 孝敬 (xiàojìng). It can also refer to mourning, as in 戴孝 (dài xiào, to wear mourning clothes). Example: 他很孝顺父母。 (Tā hěn xiàoshùn fùmǔ.) He is very good to his parents.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 孝 (xiào) with 考 (kǎo, to test), which has the same 耂 top but 丂 underneath instead of 子. Also watch the tone: 孝 is fourth tone, unlike 小 (xiǎo) and 笑 (xiào) which sound similar but mean small and laugh.
Common words with 孝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
孝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 孝
Learning 孝 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 孝
How many strokes are in 孝?
孝 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 孝 mean?
孝 (xiào) means filial piety, obedience; mourning. A common word with it is 孝顺 (xiàoshùn), meaning "filial; dutiful".
How do you pronounce 孝?
孝 is pronounced xiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 孝?
The radical of 孝 is 子, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 孝 under this radical.
Is 孝 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 孝 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 孝顺 and 孝敬?
孝顺 (xiàoshùn) describes a person who is dutiful and obedient to parents, and is usually an adjective. 孝敬 (xiàojìng) is a verb meaning to show respect to elders, often by giving them gifts or money.
How is 孝 related to mourning?
In traditional Chinese custom, children wear white mourning clothes for a deceased parent as an act of filial duty. So 孝 also names this mourning attire, as in 戴孝 (dài xiào) or 守孝 (shǒu xiào, to observe mourning).