舔 meaning and stroke order
To lick; to lap
How to write 舔, stroke by stroke
14 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 舔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lick
- to lap
How 舔 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tongue.
舌 gives the meaning and 忝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 舌 (tongue), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 舔
On the left is 舌 (shé), the tongue, which tells you the meaning. On the right is 忝 (tiǎn), which gives the sound, so picture a tongue reaching out to make a sound like tiǎn as it licks.
舔 is an everyday verb for licking with the tongue. People use it for animals, ice cream, lips, and spoons. Example: 小狗舔我的手。(Xiǎo gǒu tiǎn wǒ de shǒu.) The puppy licks my hand.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 添 (tiān, to add) because the two look alike, but 舔 has 舌 on the left, not the water radical 氵. Also keep the third tone tiǎn, not the first tone of 添 tiān.
舔 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 舔
How many strokes are in 舔?
舔 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 舔 mean?
舔 (tiǎn) means to lick; to lap.
How do you pronounce 舔?
舔 is pronounced tiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 舔?
The radical of 舔 is 舌, which carries the idea of "tongue". Dictionaries list 舔 under this radical.
Is 舔 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 舔 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 舔狗 mean in internet slang?
舔狗 (tiǎn gǒu), literally "licking dog," describes someone who keeps flattering or chasing a person who does not return their feelings. It is informal and somewhat insulting.
How do you say "lick your lips" in Chinese?
You can say 舔嘴唇 (tiǎn zuǐchún). For example, 他舔了舔嘴唇。(Tā tiǎn le tiǎn zuǐchún.) means "He licked his lips." Repeating the verb as 舔了舔 makes the action sound quick and light.