萧 meaning and stroke order
Mournful, desolate; common Artemisa
How to write 萧, stroke by stroke
11 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 萧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (old) Chinese mugwort
- (bound form) desolate; dreary
How 萧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Solemn.
肃 gives the meaning and 艹 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 萧
萧 puts grass 艹 on top of 肃, a part linked to the idea of solemn. Picture a quiet, solemn field of withered mugwort to remember the feeling of desolate and dreary.
Today 萧 mostly appears in set words about bleakness, and it is also a common surname. The most useful word is 萧条 (xiāotiáo), which can describe a lonely scene or a slow economy. 经济很萧条。(Jīngjì hěn xiāotiáo.) The economy is in a slump.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 萧 with 箫 (xiāo, a vertical bamboo flute), which has the bamboo top ⺮ instead of grass 艹. Also, do not read it like its lower part 肃, which is pronounced sù.
Common words with 萧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 萧条 | xiāotiáo | bleak; desolate; (economics) in a slump; sluggish; depressed | HSK 7-9 |
萧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 萧
Learning 萧 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 萧
How many strokes are in 萧?
萧 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 萧 mean?
萧 (xiāo) means mournful, desolate; common Artemisa. A common word with it is 萧条 (xiāotiáo), meaning "bleak; desolate; (economics) in a slump; sluggish; depressed".
How do you pronounce 萧?
萧 is pronounced xiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 萧?
The radical of 萧 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 萧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 萧?
The traditional form of 萧 is 蕭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 萧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 萧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 萧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 萧 used as a Chinese surname?
Yes, 萧 (Xiāo) is a fairly common surname. You will see it in names of people, historical figures, and characters in TV dramas.
What is the difference between 萧 and 潇?
Both are read xiāo, but 潇 has the water radical 氵 and appears in 潇洒 (xiāosǎ), meaning free and natural or cool and stylish. 萧 carries the sense of bleak and desolate, as in 萧条.