貂 meaning and stroke order
Sable, mink, marten
How to write 貂, stroke by stroke
12 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 貂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sable or marten (genus Martes)
How 貂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Beast.
豸 gives the meaning and 召 hints at the sound.
Radical: 豸 (badger), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 貂
On the left is 豸, the 'beast' component used for furry animals, and on the right is 召 (zhào), which gives the sound. Picture a small furry beast you summon (召) for its soft fur.
貂 (diāo) names martens, sables and minks, and it appears most often in words about fur. The best known is 貂皮 (diāopí), meaning mink or sable fur. Example: 她穿了一件貂皮大衣。(Tā chuānle yí jiàn diāopí dàyī.) She wore a mink fur coat.
Common mistake: Learners often read 貂 as zhào or zhāo because of the 召 part, but the correct reading is diāo with a first tone. Also do not confuse the 豸 side with 犭, which appears in other animal characters like 狐 (hú).
Common words with 貂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 貂皮 | diāopí | mink fur |
Questions about 貂
How many strokes are in 貂?
貂 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 貂 mean?
貂 (diāo) means sable, mink, marten. A common word with it is 貂皮 (diāopí), meaning "mink fur".
How do you pronounce 貂?
貂 is pronounced diāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 貂?
The radical of 貂 is 豸, which carries the idea of "badger". Dictionaries list 貂 under this radical.
How do you say mink and sable separately in Chinese?
Mink is usually 水貂 (shuǐdiāo), literally 'water marten'. Sable is often called 紫貂 (zǐdiāo). Plain 貂 can cover the whole group.
Is 貂 used in any famous names?
Yes. 貂蝉 (Diāochán) is one of the Four Beauties of ancient China and a well known figure from the Three Kingdoms story.