痒 meaning and stroke order
To itch; to tickle
How to write 痒, 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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Meaning of 痒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to itch
- to tickle
- variant of 癢|痒[yang3]
How 痒 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 羊 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 痒
The sickness radical 疒 wraps around 羊 (yáng), which gives the sound. Picture a sheep with a skin problem, scratching itself against a fence because it itches.
痒 (yǎng) describes the feeling of itching, and it often appears as 痒痒 (yǎngyang) in casual speech. You usually put the body part first. Example: 我的背很痒。(Wǒ de bèi hěn yǎng.) My back is really itchy.
Common mistake: Learners often read 痒 as yáng with a second tone because of 羊, but it is third tone yǎng. Also do not confuse it with 样 (yàng, appearance), which shares the 羊 part but uses the wood radical 木.
Common words with 痒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
痒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 痒
How many strokes are in 痒?
痒 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 痒 mean?
痒 (yǎng) means to itch; to tickle. A common word with it is 痒痒 (yǎngyang), meaning "to itch; to tickle".
How do you pronounce 痒?
痒 is pronounced yǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 痒?
The radical of 痒 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 痒 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 痒?
The traditional form of 痒 is 癢. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 痒 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 痒 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 痒 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say someone is ticklish in Chinese?
You can say 他怕痒 (tā pà yǎng), which literally means he is afraid of tickling. To tickle someone is 挠痒痒 (náo yǎngyang) or 胳肢 (gézhi) in northern speech.
Can 痒 describe a feeling that is not physical?
Yes. 心痒 (xīn yǎng) or 手痒 (shǒu yǎng) describe being eager to do something, like an itch to try it. For example, 看别人打球，我手痒了 means watching others play makes me want to join in.