潑 meaning and stroke order
To pour, to splash, to sprinkle, to water
How to write 潑, stroke by stroke
15 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 潑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to splash
- to spill
- rough and coarse
- brutish
How 潑 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To send forth 發 water 氵.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 潑
潑 combines water 氵 with 發 (fā), to send forth. Picture yourself sending water flying out of a bucket: that is a splash.
潑 (simplified 泼) means to splash or throw liquid out in one motion, and it also describes someone rough or shrewish, as in 泼妇 (pōfù). It appears in the common word 活泼 (huópō, lively) and in the figurative 泼冷水 (pō lěngshuǐ). Example: 别给他泼冷水。(Bié gěi tā pō lěngshuǐ.) Don't dampen his enthusiasm.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 登 or 撥 (bō, to push aside), which looks similar but uses the hand radical 扌 and a different tone. Remember that splashing needs water 氵, and the tone is first tone pō.
Common words with 潑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 潑
How many strokes are in 潑?
潑 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 潑 mean?
潑 (pō) means to pour, to splash, to sprinkle, to water. A common word with it is 活泼 (huópō), meaning "lively; vivacious".
How do you pronounce 潑?
潑 is pronounced pō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 潑?
The radical of 潑 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 潑 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 潑?
潑 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 泼, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 潑 and 倒 (dào) for pouring?
倒 (dào) is controlled pouring, like pouring tea into a cup. 潑 (pō) is throwing liquid out quickly so it splashes, like tossing a bucket of water onto the ground.
Why does 活泼 mean lively if 潑 means to splash?
In 活泼 (huópō), 泼 suggests energy spilling out freely, like splashing water. Together with 活 (alive), it describes a lively, vivacious person, often a child. Note that 泼 is usually read in the neutral tone in 活泼.