藻 meaning and stroke order
Splendid, magnificent; algae
How to write 藻, stroke by stroke
19 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 藻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- aquatic grasses
- elegant
How 藻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grass.
艹 gives the meaning and 澡 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 藻
Put grass 艹 on top of 澡 (zǎo, to bathe), and you get plants that live their whole life in the bath: water weeds and algae. The 澡 part also gives the sound zǎo.
藻 (zǎo) is mostly used in words for water plants, such as 海藻 (hǎizǎo, seaweed) and 藻类 (zǎolèi, algae). In literary language it can also mean fine, ornate writing, as in 辞藻 (cízǎo, flowery wording). Example: 海边有很多海藻。(Hǎibiān yǒu hěn duō hǎizǎo.) There is a lot of seaweed by the sea.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the grass top and write 澡 (zǎo, bathe), as in 洗澡 (xǐzǎo). Both have the same sound and tone, so check the meaning. Plants need 艹, and bathing does not.
Common words with 藻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 海藻 | hǎizǎo | seaweed; marine alga | HSK 7-9 |
| 藻类 | zǎolèi | algae |
Questions about 藻
How many strokes are in 藻?
藻 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 藻 mean?
藻 (zǎo) means splendid, magnificent; algae. A common word with it is 海藻 (hǎizǎo), meaning "seaweed; marine alga".
How do you pronounce 藻?
藻 is pronounced zǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 藻?
The radical of 藻 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 藻 under this radical.
Is 藻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 藻 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say 'flowery language' using 藻?
Use 辞藻 (cízǎo), meaning ornate words or rhetoric. A common phrase is 辞藻华丽 (cízǎo huálì), meaning the wording is flowery. This is where the sense 'elegant, splendid' shows up.
Is 海藻 the same as 紫菜?
Not exactly. 海藻 (hǎizǎo) is the general word for seaweed or marine algae. 紫菜 (zǐcài) is one specific edible seaweed, laver, the kind used for sushi and soups.