繰 meaning and stroke order
To spool, to reel
How to write 繰, stroke by stroke
19 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
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
Meaning of 繰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hem with invisible stitches
- to reel silk from cocoons
How 繰 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 喿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 繰
The silk radical 糹 on the left tells you this is about thread, and 喿 on the right gives the sound, like in 澡 (zǎo) and 燥 (zào). Picture noisy birds 喿 chirping over a basket of silk 糹 as you reel it off the cocoons.
繰 is the traditional form of 缲 and is rare in modern Chinese. Read qiāo, it means to hem a garment with hidden stitches, as in 繰邊 (qiāo biān), to blind-stitch a hem. Read sāo, it means to reel silk, a sense more often written 繅 (sāo).
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 繰 with 操 (cāo, to grasp) and 燥 (zào, dry) because they share 喿. Check the left side: only the silk radical 糹 points to sewing or reeling.
Questions about 繰
How many strokes are in 繰?
繰 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 繰 mean?
繰 (qiāo) means to spool, to reel.
How do you pronounce 繰?
繰 is pronounced qiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 繰?
The radical of 繰 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 繰 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 繰?
繰 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 缲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 繰 used in Japanese too?
Yes. In Japanese 繰 appears in words like 繰り返す (kurikaesu, to repeat). That meaning is Japanese usage. In Chinese the character keeps the sewing and silk-reeling senses.
What is the difference between qiāo and sāo for 繰?
Qiāo is the sewing sense, hemming with stitches that do not show on the outside. Sāo is the silk sense, drawing thread from cocoons. Let the context, clothing or silk production, tell you which reading to use.