翱 meaning and stroke order
To soar; to roam
How to write 翱, 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 翱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- see 翱翔[ao2 xiang2]
- variant of 翱[ao2]
How 翱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wings.
羽 gives the meaning and 皋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 羽 (feather), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 翱
On the left is 皋 (gāo), which gives the sound, and on the right is 羽 (yǔ), feathers or wings. Picture a bird spreading its 羽 wings and soaring high into the sky.
翱 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 翱翔 (áoxiáng), to soar or glide in the sky, often in written or poetic language. Example: 老鹰在天空中翱翔。(Lǎoyīng zài tiānkōng zhōng áoxiáng.) The eagle soars in the sky.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 白 over 本 or confuse 皋 with 泉 (quán). The bottom of 皋 is 㚔-like with a horizontal stroke and 十, not 水. Also remember the tone is second tone áo, not fourth tone ào as in 傲.
Common words with 翱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 翱翔 | áoxiáng | to soar; to wheel about in the sky |
Questions about 翱
How many strokes are in 翱?
翱 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 翱 mean?
翱 (áo) means to soar; to roam. A common word with it is 翱翔 (áoxiáng), meaning "to soar; to wheel about in the sky".
How do you pronounce 翱?
翱 is pronounced áo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 翱?
The radical of 翱 is 羽, which carries the idea of "feather". Dictionaries list 翱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 翱?
The traditional form of 翱 is 翺. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 翱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 翔 or 飞 replace 翱翔?
飞 (fēi) is the everyday word for fly, while 翱翔 sounds more literary and suggests graceful, wide circling flight. 翔 can appear alone in poetry, but in normal speech people say 翱翔 or just 飞.
Can 翱翔 be used figuratively?
Yes. It is often used for dreams or imagination, as in 在知识的海洋里翱翔 (zài zhīshi de hǎiyáng lǐ áoxiáng), to soar in the ocean of knowledge. This style is common in speeches and school essays.