铐 meaning and stroke order
Shackles, manacles
How to write 铐, stroke by stroke
11 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 铐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- shackles
- fetters
- manacle
How 铐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 考 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 铐
The metal radical 钅 on the left tells you this is something made of metal, and 考 (kǎo) on the right gives the sound. Picture a test 考 so hard it feels like being locked in metal cuffs.
铐 (kào) appears mostly in the word 手铐 (shǒukào, handcuffs). It can also work as a verb meaning to handcuff someone. Example: 警察把他铐起来了。(Jǐngchá bǎ tā kào qǐlái le.) The police handcuffed him.
Common mistake: Learners often write 烤 (kǎo, to roast) or 拷 (kǎo, to beat or copy) instead, since all three share 考. Check the left side: only the metal radical 钅 gives 铐, and its tone is fourth (kào), not third.
Common words with 铐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手铐 | shǒukào | manacles; handcuffs | |
| 镣铐 | liàokào | manacles and leg-irons; fetters and handcuffs |
铐 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 铐
How many strokes are in 铐?
铐 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 铐 mean?
铐 (kào) means shackles, manacles. A common word with it is 手铐 (shǒukào), meaning "manacles; handcuffs".
How do you pronounce 铐?
铐 is pronounced kào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 铐?
The radical of 铐 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 铐 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 铐?
The traditional form of 铐 is 銬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 铐 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 铐 be used as a verb?
Yes. 铐 can mean to put handcuffs on someone, often in phrases like 铐上 (kào shàng) or 铐起来 (kào qǐlái). For example, 他被铐上了 means he was handcuffed.
What is the difference between 手铐 and 镣铐?
手铐 (shǒukào) means handcuffs for the wrists. 镣铐 (liàokào) covers both leg irons and handcuffs, and is often used figuratively for restraints or shackles on freedom.