螺 meaning and stroke order
Spiral shell, conch; spiral
How to write 螺, 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 螺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- spiral shell
- snail
- conch
How 螺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 累 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 螺
螺 is a pictophonetic character: 虫 (chóng, insect or small creature) on the left gives the meaning, and 累 (lèi / léi) on the right gives the sound. Picture a small creature 虫 carrying a shell that piles up in layers 累, coiling round and round into a spiral.
螺 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese and is mostly used in compounds about shells or spiral shapes, such as 海螺 (hǎiluó), 螺旋 (luóxuán) and 螺丝 (luósī). Example: 我需要一把螺丝刀。(Wǒ xūyào yì bǎ luósīdāo.) I need a screwdriver.
Common mistake: Learners often read 螺 as lèi because of the phonetic part 累, but the correct reading is second tone luó. Also do not confuse it with 骡 (luó, mule), which has the same sound and right side but uses 马 instead of 虫.
Common words with 螺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
螺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 螺
How many strokes are in 螺?
螺 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 螺 mean?
螺 (luó) means spiral shell, conch; spiral. A common word with it is 螺丝 (luósī), meaning "screw".
How do you pronounce 螺?
螺 is pronounced luó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 螺?
The radical of 螺 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 螺 under this radical.
Is 螺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 螺 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 螺丝 and 螺栓?
螺丝 (luósī) is the general word for a screw, the kind you drive into wood or a wall. 螺栓 (luóshuān) is a bolt, which usually goes through parts and is fastened with a nut.
Why does 陀螺 mean spinning top?
A spinning top turns in a spiral-like motion, so 螺 adds the idea of something that twists and spins. 陀螺 (tuóluó) is used for the children's toy and also for a gyroscope.