漂 meaning and stroke order
To float; to drift
How to write 漂, 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 漂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to float
- to drift
- to bleach
- used in 漂亮[piao4 liang5]
How 漂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 票 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 漂
漂 is water 氵 plus 票 (piào), which gives the sound. Picture a paper ticket 票 dropped into water 氵, drifting and floating away.
As piāo it means to float or drift, as in 漂浮 (piāofú) and 漂流 (piāoliú). As piǎo it means to bleach, as in 漂白 (piǎobái). As piào it appears mainly in the very common word 漂亮 (piàoliang), for example 她很漂亮。(Tā hěn piàoliang.) She is very pretty.
Common mistake: Learners often read 漂亮 with the first tone as piāoliang because they learned 漂 as "to float" first. In 漂亮 it is fourth tone piào, and 亮 is usually neutral tone.
Common words with 漂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
漂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 漂
How many strokes are in 漂?
漂 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 漂 mean?
漂 (piāo) means to float; to drift. A common word with it is 漂亮 (piàoliang), meaning "pretty; beautiful".
How do you pronounce 漂?
漂 has more than one reading: piāo and piào. The most common is piāo, said in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 漂?
The radical of 漂 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 漂 under this radical.
Is 漂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 漂 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 漂 (piāo) and 飘 (piāo)?
Both are pronounced piāo and both suggest drifting. 漂 is for floating on water, like a leaf on a river, while 飘 (with 风, wind) is for drifting in the air, like snow or a flag.
Can 漂亮 describe things other than people?
Yes. 漂亮 can describe places, clothes, or handwriting, and it can also praise something done well, as in 干得漂亮 (gàn de piàoliang), "nicely done."