寥 meaning and stroke order
Few, scarce; empty, deserted
How to write 寥, stroke by stroke
14 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 寥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- empty
- lonesome
- very few
How 寥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Roof.
宀 gives the meaning and 翏 hints at the sound.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 寥
寥 has the roof 宀 on top, which gives the meaning, and 翏 (liù) underneath, which hints at the sound liáo. Picture a big house under one roof with almost nobody inside, so it feels empty and lonely.
寥 is mostly found in set phrases and written Chinese, not on its own in casual speech. The most common one is 寥寥无几, which means very few. Example: 来的人寥寥无几。(Lái de rén liáoliáo wújǐ.) Very few people came.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 寥 with 廖 (liào), a common surname that has 广 on top instead of 宀. Also watch the tone. 寥 is second tone liáo, while the surname 廖 is fourth tone.
Common words with 寥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 寥寥无几 | liáoliáo-wújǐ | (idiom) very few | HSK 7-9 |
寥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 寥
How many strokes are in 寥?
寥 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 寥 mean?
寥 (liáo) means few, scarce; empty, deserted. A common word with it is 寥寥无几 (liáoliáo-wújǐ), meaning "(idiom) very few".
How do you pronounce 寥?
寥 is pronounced liáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 寥?
The radical of 寥 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 寥 under this radical.
Is 寥 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 寥 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 寂寥 mean?
寂寥 (jìliáo) means quiet, lonely, and desolate. It is a literary word used to describe a deserted place or a lonely mood, such as 寂寥的夜晚 (a lonely, silent night).
Is 寥 related to 聊 in 无聊?
No. 聊 (liáo) in 无聊 (wúliáo, bored) has the ear 耳 and means to chat. They sound the same, but 寥 means few or empty, so do not swap them in writing.