瓢 meaning and stroke order
A ladle made from a dried gourd
How to write 瓢, stroke by stroke
16 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 瓢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dipper
- ladle
How 瓢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Gourd.
瓜 gives the meaning and 票 hints at the sound.
Radical: 瓜 (melon), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 瓢
On the right is 瓜 (guā), a gourd, which tells you the meaning: a dried gourd cut in half becomes a ladle. On the left, 票 (piào) gives the sound, so think of a gourd ladle that costs one 票 ticket.
瓢 (piáo) means a dipper or ladle, traditionally made from a dried gourd, and today it can also be plastic or metal. You will most often see it in the word 瓢虫 (piáochóng), ladybug, named for its round, ladle-like shell. Example: 他用水瓢舀水。(Tā yòng shuǐpiáo yǎo shuǐ.) He scooped water with a dipper.
Common mistake: Learners often read 瓢 as piào because of the phonetic 票 (piào), but 瓢 is second tone, piáo. Also do not confuse the right side 瓜 (guā) with 爪 (zhuǎ, claw). 瓜 has the extra small stroke inside.
Common words with 瓢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瓢虫 | piáochóng | ladybug; ladybird |
瓢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 瓢
How many strokes are in 瓢?
瓢 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 瓢 mean?
瓢 (piáo) means a ladle made from a dried gourd. A common word with it is 瓢虫 (piáochóng), meaning "ladybug; ladybird".
How do you pronounce 瓢?
瓢 is pronounced piáo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 瓢?
The radical of 瓢 is 瓜, which carries the idea of "melon". Dictionaries list 瓢 under this radical.
Why is a ladybug called 瓢虫 in Chinese?
Its body is round and domed, like half a gourd used as a 瓢 (piáo) ladle. So 瓢虫 (piáochóng) literally means ladle bug.
Is there a common expression using 瓢?
Yes, 瓢泼大雨 (piáopō dàyǔ) means a downpour, as if rain is being poured out by the ladleful. It is a vivid way to describe very heavy rain.