Meaning of 稍
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- somewhat
- a little
- used in 稍息[shao4 xi1]
How to use 稍
稍 is a formal or written adverb meaning "slightly" and goes before a verb or adjective. In speech people usually say 稍微 (shāowēi). Example: 请稍等。(Qǐng shāo děng.) Please wait a moment.
稍 has the grain radical 禾 on the left and 肖 (xiāo) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture the thin tip of a grain stalk, just a little bit at the top, to remember "a little; somewhat."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 稍 with 梢 (shāo, tip of a branch), 哨 (shào, whistle) and 消 (xiāo, to disappear). They share 肖 but have different left sides. Also remember that 稍息 is read shàoxī with a fourth tone, not shāoxī.
稍 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
稍 shāo · somewhat · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 稍.
Questions about 稍
What does 稍 mean?
稍 (shāo) means "somewhat; a little" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 稍?
稍 is made of 1 character: 稍 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 稍 an HSK word?
Yes. 稍 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 稍 and 稍微?
They mean the same thing, "a little." 稍 is shorter and more formal, and it is common in set phrases like 请稍等. 稍微 is more common in everyday speech and often goes with 一点 or 一下, as in 稍微快一点 (shāowēi kuài yīdiǎn), a bit faster.
Are 稍后 and 稍候 the same word?
Both are pronounced shāohòu, but they differ in meaning. 稍后 means "a little later," as in 稍后再说 (let's talk later). 稍候 means "wait a moment," as in 请稍候 (please hold on).