稍 meaning and stroke order
Somewhat; a little
How to write 稍, stroke by stroke
12 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 稍
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- somewhat
- a little
- used in 稍息[shao4 xi1]
How 稍 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Resembling 肖 grain 禾; 肖 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 禾 (cereal), shared by 66 characters on this site.
How to remember 稍
稍 combines grain 禾 (hé) with 肖 (xiào), which also gives the sound. Picture the thin tip of a grain stalk, just a small bit of the plant, to remember "a little, slightly."
稍 is mostly used before verbs or adjectives to soften them, often in the word 稍微 (shāowēi). It sounds a bit more formal than 一点儿 and is common in polite requests and announcements. Example: 请稍等。(Qǐng shāo děng.) Please wait a moment.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 稍 with 梢 (shāo, tip of a branch) and 悄 (qiāo, quiet), which share the 肖 part. Remember that only 稍 with the grain radical 禾 means "slightly."
Common words with 稍
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
稍 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 稍
How many strokes are in 稍?
稍 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 稍 mean?
稍 (shāo) means somewhat; a little. A common word with it is 稍微 (shāowēi), meaning "a little bit".
How do you pronounce 稍?
稍 is pronounced shāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 稍?
The radical of 稍 is 禾, which carries the idea of "cereal". Dictionaries list 稍 under this radical.
Is 稍 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 稍 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 稍后 and 稍候?
Both are read shāohòu. 稍后 (后 means after) means "later, in a little while," as in 稍后再说. 稍候 (候 means wait) means "please wait a moment," often heard in service settings.
When is 稍 pronounced shào instead of shāo?
Only in the military command 稍息 (shàoxī), meaning "Stand at ease." In every other common word, such as 稍微 and 稍早, it is read shāo.