獠 meaning and stroke order
To hunt at night with torches
How to write 獠, 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 獠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fierce
- hunt
- name of a tribe
How 獠 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Hunting with dogs 犭 and torches 尞; 尞 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 犭 (dog), shared by 88 characters on this site.
How to remember 獠
On the left is the dog radical 犭, and on the right is 尞 (liáo), which suggests torches burning. Picture hunting dogs running beside blazing torches on a night hunt, and you have 獠 (liáo).
Today 獠 almost only appears in the word 獠牙 (liáoyá), meaning a long tusk or fang. It often describes beasts or monsters and suggests something fierce. Example: 野猪露出了獠牙。(Yězhū lùchū le liáoyá.) The wild boar bared its tusks.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 獠 with 嘹 (liáo, as in 嘹亮, loud and clear) or 燎 (liáo, to burn), because all three share 尞. Remember that the dog radical 犭 marks the one about animals and hunting.
Common words with 獠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 獠牙 | liáoyá | tusk; fang |
Questions about 獠
How many strokes are in 獠?
獠 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 獠 mean?
獠 (liáo) means to hunt at night with torches. A common word with it is 獠牙 (liáoyá), meaning "tusk; fang".
How do you pronounce 獠?
獠 is pronounced liáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 獠?
The radical of 獠 is 犭, which carries the idea of "dog". Dictionaries list 獠 under this radical.
What does the idiom 青面獠牙 mean?
青面獠牙 (qīng miàn liáo yá) means a green face and protruding fangs. It describes a terrifying, demonic appearance, like a monster in a story.
Is 獠 used on its own in modern Chinese?
Rarely. Its older senses, such as hunting at night or the name of an ancient tribe, mostly appear in classical texts. In everyday speech you will meet it inside 獠牙.