雀 meaning and stroke order
Sparrow
How to write 雀, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 雀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- a freckle
- lentigo
- (bound form) small bird
- sparrow
- also pr. [qiao3]
How 雀 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A small 小 bird 隹.
Radical: 隹 (short-tailed bird), shared by 32 characters on this site.
How to remember 雀
雀 is a small 小 (xiǎo) sitting on top of a bird 隹 (zhuī). A small bird is a sparrow.
雀 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 麻雀 (máquè, sparrow), 孔雀 (kǒngquè, peacock) and 雀斑 (quèbān, freckles). Example: 树上有一只麻雀。(Shù shang yǒu yì zhī máquè.) There is a sparrow in the tree.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 少 (shǎo) instead of 小 (xiǎo), adding an extra stroke. Also, do not say 雀 alone for "bird"; use 鸟 (niǎo) or a full word like 麻雀.
Common words with 雀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鸦雀无声 | yāquè-wúshēng | lit. crow and peacock make no sound; absolute silence (idiom); not a single voice can be h | HSK 7-9 |
| 麻雀 | máquè | sparrow; (dialect) mahjong | |
| 孔雀 | kǒngquè | peafowl; peacock | |
| 云雀 | yúnquè | (bird species of China) Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis) | |
| 金丝雀 | jīnsīquè | canary | |
| 雀斑 | quèbān | freckles | |
| 山雀 | shānquè | tit | |
| 雀鹰 | quèyīng | (bird species of China) Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) |
雀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 雀
How many strokes are in 雀?
雀 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 雀 mean?
雀 (què) means sparrow. A common word with it is 鸦雀无声 (yāquè-wúshēng), meaning "lit. crow and peacock make no sound; absolute silence (idiom); not a single voice can be h".
How do you pronounce 雀?
雀 is pronounced què, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 雀?
The radical of 雀 is 隹, which carries the idea of "short-tailed bird". Dictionaries list 雀 under this radical.
Is 雀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 雀 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 麻雀 also mean mahjong?
In some dialects, mahjong is called 麻雀 (máquè). In standard Mandarin the game is usually called 麻将 (májiàng).
What does 鸦雀无声 mean and when is it used?
鸦雀无声 (yāquè-wúshēng) means complete silence, as if not even a crow or sparrow makes a sound. It describes a room or crowd that suddenly goes totally quiet, for example 教室里鸦雀无声 (jiàoshì li yāquè-wúshēng), the classroom was dead silent.