爽 meaning and stroke order
Bright; clear; crisp
How to write 爽, stroke by stroke
11 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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- 11
Meaning of 爽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bright
- clear
- crisp
- open
- frank
- straightforward
How 爽 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 大 breathing lots of fresh air 爻.
Radical: 爻 (diagrams for divination), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 爽
Picture a big person 大 with arms spread wide, and four little x marks from 爻 around the body like fresh air rushing in. Breathing all that cool air makes you feel crisp, clear and happy.
爽 (shuǎng) describes weather or feelings that are fresh and pleasant, and also people who are frank and straightforward, as in 爽快 (shuǎngkuai). In casual speech, 爽 alone means "feels great." Example: 今天天气很凉爽。(Jīntiān tiānqì hěn liángshuǎng.) The weather is cool and refreshing today.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the inner parts as 人 or 又 instead of the four x shapes of 爻, two on each side of 大. Also keep the third tone in shuǎng, and note that in 爽快 the second syllable is often said in the neutral tone.
Common words with 爽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
爽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 爽
How many strokes are in 爽?
爽 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 爽 mean?
爽 (shuǎng) means bright; clear; crisp. A common word with it is 凉爽 (liángshuǎng), meaning "cool and refreshing".
How do you pronounce 爽?
爽 is pronounced shuǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 爽?
The radical of 爽 is 爻, which carries the idea of "diagrams for divination". Dictionaries list 爽 under this radical.
Is 爽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 爽 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 不爽 mean in everyday slang?
不爽 (bùshuǎng) can mean feeling unwell, but in casual speech it usually means annoyed or unhappy. For example, 我很不爽 means "I am really annoyed."
Is 爽歪歪 okay to use in formal situations?
No. 爽歪歪 (shuǎngwāiwāi) is playful and informal, used among friends to say something feels amazing. In formal writing, use words like 舒服 (shūfu) or 愉快 (yúkuài) instead.