摇 meaning and stroke order
To shake; to rock; to row
How to write 摇, stroke by stroke
13 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 摇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to shake
- to rock
- to row
- to crank
How 摇 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 䍃 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 摇
摇 (yáo) is pictophonetic: the hand radical 扌 on the left tells you the meaning is an action done with the hand, and 䍃 on the right gives the sound yáo. Picture a hand gripping something and shaking it back and forth.
摇 is a verb for shaking, rocking, waving, rowing, or cranking something, and it appears in many common words like 摇头 (yáotóu, to shake one's head) and 摇滚 (yáogǔn, rock music). Example: 他摇了摇头。(Tā yáo le yáo tóu.) He shook his head.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 摇 (yáo) with 遥 (yáo, far) and 谣 (yáo, rumor), which share the same right side 䍃 and the same sound. Check the left part: 扌 for a hand action, 辶 for distance, 讠 for speech.
Common words with 摇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 动摇 | dòngyáo | to sway; to waver | HSK 4 |
| 摇头 | yáotóu | to shake one's head | HSK 5 |
| 摇滚 | yáogǔn | rock 'n' roll (music); to rock | HSK 7-9 |
| 摇摆 | yáobǎi | to sway; to wobble | HSK 7-9 |
| 摇晃 | yáohuàng | to rock; to shake; to sway | HSK 7-9 |
| 摇篮 | yáolán | cradle (for a baby); (fig.) cradle; birthplace (of a civilization, movement etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 摇摇欲坠 | yáoyáo-yùzhuì | tottering; on the verge of collapse | HSK 7-9 |
| 摇滚乐 | yáogǔnyuè | rock music; rock 'n roll | |
| 摇动 | yáodòng | to shake; to sway | |
| 大摇大摆 | dàyáodàbǎi | to strut; swaggering | |
| 摇头丸 | yáotóuwán | Ecstasy; MDMA | |
| 摇篮曲 | yáolánqǔ | lullaby | |
| 招摇 | zhāoyáo | to rock back and forth; (fig.) to act ostentatiously | |
| 摇曳 | yáoyè | to sway gently (as in the wind); (of a flame) to flicker |
摇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 摇
How many strokes are in 摇?
摇 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 摇 mean?
摇 (yáo) means to shake; to rock; to row. A common word with it is 动摇 (dòngyáo), meaning "to sway; to waver".
How do you pronounce 摇?
摇 is pronounced yáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 摇?
The radical of 摇 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 摇 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 摇?
The traditional form of 摇 is 搖. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 摇 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 摇 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 摇 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 摇 and 晃?
摇 usually means actively shaking or swinging something, often with the hand. 晃 (huàng) leans toward unsteady swaying or wobbling, and they combine as 摇晃 (yáohuàng), to sway or shake.
How do you say 'shake hands' in Chinese? Is it 摇手?
Shaking hands is 握手 (wòshǒu), not 摇手. 摇手 (yáoshǒu) means waving your hand, often to signal no.