藐 meaning and stroke order
To despise, to disdain; to disregard, to slight
How to write 藐, stroke by stroke
17 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 藐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to despise
- small
- variant of 渺[miao3]
How 藐 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 藐
Grass 艹 on top of 貌 (mào, appearance): picture someone looking at another person's appearance as if it were just weeds. Treating someone's looks like grass means you look down on them.
藐 almost always appears in the word 藐视 (miǎoshì), meaning to look down on or show contempt for, often in formal or written contexts. Example: 他藐视规则。(Tā miǎoshì guīzé.) He disregards the rules.
Common mistake: Learners often write 貌 (mào) alone or forget the grass radical on top. The sound also changes: 藐 is miǎo with a third tone, not mào with a fourth tone.
Common words with 藐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 藐视 | miǎoshì | to despise; to look down on |
Questions about 藐
How many strokes are in 藐?
藐 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 藐 mean?
藐 (miǎo) means to despise, to disdain; to disregard, to slight. A common word with it is 藐视 (miǎoshì), meaning "to despise; to look down on".
How do you pronounce 藐?
藐 is pronounced miǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 藐?
The radical of 藐 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 藐 under this radical.
What is the difference between 藐视 and 鄙视?
Both mean to look down on. 藐视 (miǎoshì) suggests treating something as unimportant or not worth fearing, while 鄙视 (bǐshì) carries stronger moral disgust toward something seen as low or shameful.
Can 藐 mean small?
Yes, the dictionary lists small as a sense, and 藐 can be a variant of 渺 (miǎo), as in tiny or remote. This use is rare in modern Chinese, where 渺小 (miǎoxiǎo) is the normal form.