蒐 meaning and stroke order
Collect, gather, assemble; seek; spring hunt; assemble for war
How to write 蒐, 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 蒐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) madder (Rubia cordifolia)
- (literary) to hunt during spring
How 蒐 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 蒐
Picture a ghost 鬼 (guǐ) creeping through the grass 艹, searching for something it lost. A ghost hunting through plants reminds you that 蒐 (sōu) means to seek, gather, or hunt.
蒐 is a literary character. In modern mainland Chinese its everyday senses of collecting and searching are written with 搜 (sōu). In Taiwan you still see it in words like 蒐集 (sōují, to collect), for example 他喜歡蒐集郵票 (tā xǐhuan sōují yóupiào, He likes collecting stamps).
Common mistake: Learners often write 蒐 when they mean the common 搜 (sōu), as in 搜索 (sōusuǒ, to search). Use 搜 with the hand radical 扌 for searching online or looking for things in modern simplified Chinese.
Questions about 蒐
How many strokes are in 蒐?
蒐 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 蒐 mean?
蒐 (sōu) means collect, gather, assemble; seek; spring hunt; assemble for war.
How do you pronounce 蒐?
蒐 is pronounced sōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 蒐?
The radical of 蒐 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 蒐 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 蒐?
蒐 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 搜, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 蒐 and 搜?
Both are read sōu and share the idea of seeking or gathering. 搜 is the standard everyday character, especially for searching. 蒐 is literary or regional and is mostly seen in Taiwan in words like 蒐集 (to collect).
Does 蒐 have anything to do with plants?
Yes. In classical texts 蒐 can name madder (Rubia cordifolia), a plant used for red dye, which fits the grass component 艹 on top. It can also mean a hunt held in spring.