省 meaning and stroke order
To save; to economize; to be frugal; to omit; to delete; to leave out; province
How to write 省, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 省
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to save; to economize; to be frugal
- to omit; to delete; to leave out
- province
- provincial capital
- a ministry (of the Japanese government)
- (bound form) to scrutinize
- (bound form) to reflect (on one's conduct)
- (bound form) to come to realize
- (bound form) to pay a visit (to one's parents or elders)
How 省 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Division.
目 gives the meaning and 少 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 省
省 is 少 (shǎo, few) on top of 目 (mù, eye). Look closely with your eye so you use less: that is how you save, and how you look back at yourself.
As shěng it means to save or leave out, as in 省钱 (shěngqián), and it is the word for a Chinese province, like 广东省 (Guǎngdōng Shěng). Example: 坐地铁比打车省钱。(Zuò dìtiě bǐ dǎchē shěng qián.) Taking the subway saves more money than taking a taxi.
Common mistake: Learners often read 反省 as fǎnshěng, but in words about reflecting or waking up, 省 is read xǐng, as in 反省 (fǎnxǐng) and 不省人事 (bùxǐngrénshì). Also do not confuse 省 with 看 (kàn); both have 目 at the bottom, but 省 has 少 on top.
Common words with 省
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 节省 | jiéshěng | saving; to save | HSK 4 |
| 省钱 | shěngqián | to save money | HSK 6 |
| 反省 | fǎnxǐng | to reflect upon oneself; to examine one's conscience | HSK 7-9 |
| 省事 | shěngshì | to simplify matters; to save trouble | HSK 7-9 |
| 省略 | shěnglüè | to leave out; an omission | HSK 7-9 |
| 省得 | shěngde | to avoid; so as to save (money or time) | |
| 不省人事 | bùxǐngrénshì | to lose consciousness; unconscious | |
| 省心 | shěngxīn | to cause no trouble; to be spared worry |
省 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 省
How many strokes are in 省?
省 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 省 mean?
省 (shěng) means to save; to economize; to be frugal; to omit; to delete; to leave out; province. A common word with it is 节省 (jiéshěng), meaning "saving; to save".
How do you pronounce 省?
省 is pronounced shěng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 省?
The radical of 省 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 省 under this radical.
Is 省 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 省 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 省得 mean and how is it used?
省得 (shěngde) means so as to avoid or so that you do not have to. It usually starts the second half of a sentence: 早点走，省得迟到。(Zǎo diǎn zǒu, shěngde chídào.) Leave early so you will not be late.
Is 省 the same as 节省 when talking about saving?
They overlap, but 省 alone is more casual and often takes an object directly, like 省时间 (shěng shíjiān). 节省 (jiéshěng) sounds more formal and fits written or official contexts, like 节省能源 (jiéshěng néngyuán), to save energy.