馊 meaning and stroke order
Spoiled, rotten; stale, rancid
How to write 馊, 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 馊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- rancid
- soured (as food)
How 馊 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Old 叟 food 饣; 叟 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 饣 (food), shared by 43 characters on this site.
How to remember 馊
Food 饣 that has grown old 叟 (sǒu) turns sour, so 馊 (sōu) means spoiled or rancid. The old-man part 叟 also hints at the sound.
馊 describes cooked food or drinks that have gone sour, especially leftovers left out in hot weather. It also appears figuratively in 馊主意 (sōuzhǔyi), a bad idea. Example: 这碗饭馊了。(Zhè wǎn fàn sōu le.) This bowl of rice has gone bad.
Common mistake: Learners often read 馊 with the third tone like 叟 (sǒu), but 馊 is first tone, sōu. Also do not confuse it with 搜 (sōu, to search), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of the food radical 饣.
Common words with 馊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 馊主意 | sōuzhǔyi | bad idea; stupid suggestion |
馊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 馊
How many strokes are in 馊?
馊 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 馊 mean?
馊 (sōu) means spoiled, rotten; stale, rancid. A common word with it is 馊主意 (sōuzhǔyi), meaning "bad idea; stupid suggestion".
How do you pronounce 馊?
馊 is pronounced sōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 馊?
The radical of 馊 is 饣, which carries the idea of "food". Dictionaries list 馊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 馊?
The traditional form of 馊 is 餿. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 馊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 馊 and 臭?
馊 is the sour, fermented smell of food that has spoiled, like old rice or soup. 臭 (chòu) is a general word for any bad smell, such as garbage or feet.
Can 馊 be used for fruit or raw meat?
It is mostly used for cooked food and drinks that sour, such as rice, porridge, or soup. For rotting fruit or meat, Chinese speakers usually say 烂 (làn) or 坏了 (huài le).