澳 meaning and stroke order
Bay, cove, dock, inlet
How to write 澳, 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 澳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- deep bay; cove; harbor
How 澳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 奥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 澳
澳 combines the water radical 氵 with 奥 (ào), which gives the sound. Picture water 氵 reaching deep into the land to form a sheltered bay, and the sound ào comes straight from 奥.
Today 澳 is used mostly in place names rather than as a word for bay. It appears in 澳门 (Àomén, Macau) and 澳大利亚 (Àodàlìyà, Australia), often shortened to 澳洲 (Àozhōu). Example: 我明年想去澳洲旅行。 (Wǒ míngnián xiǎng qù Àozhōu lǚxíng.) I want to travel to Australia next year.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 澳 with 奥 (ào), which sounds the same. 奥 is used in 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì, Olympic Games) and 奥地利 (Àodìlì, Austria). Remember that Australia takes the water radical and Austria does not.
澳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 澳
How many strokes are in 澳?
澳 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 澳 mean?
澳 (ào) means bay, cove, dock, inlet.
How do you pronounce 澳?
澳 is pronounced ào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 澳?
The radical of 澳 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 澳 under this radical.
Is 澳 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 澳 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 澳洲 and 澳大利亚?
Both mean Australia. 澳大利亚 (Àodàlìyà) is the full country name. 澳洲 (Àozhōu) is a shorter, common everyday form and can also refer to the Australian continent.
Why does Macau use 澳 in its Chinese name?
The name 澳门 (Àomén) draws on the old meaning of 澳 as a bay or harbor, together with 门 (mén, gate). The meaning fits Macau's history as a harbor town on the coast.