操 meaning and stroke order
To conduct, to manage, to run
How to write 操, 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 操
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to grasp
- to hold
- to operate
- to manage
- to control
- to steer
- variant of 肏[cao4]
How 操 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 喿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 操
操 is pictophonetic: the hand radical 扌 gives the meaning, and 喿 (zào) gives the sound. Picture a hand 扌 grabbing the controls while the three mouths 口 on top of a tree 木 chatter instructions, so you operate and manage things by hand.
操 (cāo) rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 操作 (cāozuò, to operate), 操心 (cāoxīn, to worry about) and 操场 (cāochǎng, sports field). Example: 妈妈总是为我操心。 (Māma zǒngshì wèi wǒ cāoxīn.) Mom always worries about me.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 操 with 燥 (zào, dry) and 躁 (zào, impatient), which share the same 喿 part. Check the left side: 扌 hand for 操, 火 fire for 燥, 足 foot for 躁. Also keep the first tone cāo in normal words, because the fourth tone cào is a vulgar swear word.
Common words with 操
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 操作 | cāozuò | to work; to operate | HSK 4 |
| 体操 | tǐcāo | gymnastic; gymnastics | HSK 4 |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | playground; sports field | HSK 4 |
| 操纵 | cāozòng | to operate; to control | HSK 6 |
| 操心 | cāoxīn | to worry about | HSK 7-9 |
| 操控 | cāokòng | to control; to manipulate | HSK 7-9 |
| 操劳 | cāoláo | to work hard; to look after | HSK 7-9 |
| 我操 | wǒcào | (substitute for 我肏[wo3 cao4]) fuck; WTF | |
| 操蛋 | càodàn | lousy; rotten | |
| 贞操 | zhēncāo | (usually of women) chastity; virginity | |
| 操舵 | cāoduò | to steer (a vessel); to hold the rudder | |
| 操作系统 | cāozuòxìtǒng | operating system | |
| 操作员 | cāozuòyuán | operator | |
| 操纵杆 | cāozònggǎn | joystick; control lever |
操 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 操
How many strokes are in 操?
操 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 操 mean?
操 (cāo) means to conduct, to manage, to run. A common word with it is 操作 (cāozuò), meaning "to work; to operate".
How do you pronounce 操?
操 is pronounced cāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 操?
The radical of 操 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 操 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 操?
The traditional form of 操 is 撡. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 操 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 操 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 操 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 我操 (wǒcào) sound rude?
In this phrase 操 is read cào and stands in for the vulgar character 肏, so it works like the English f-word. It is very common online and in casual speech, but avoid it in polite or formal settings.
What is the difference between 操纵 (cāozòng) and 操作 (cāozuò)?
操作 is neutral and means to operate a machine, software or a process. 操纵 can also mean to operate equipment, but it often carries a negative sense of manipulating people or markets behind the scenes.