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唆 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
唆suōto suckzg, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #23778, Hard
唆suōto incitezg, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #23778, Hard
唆suōto make mischief; to instigate, to incitezg, 10 strokes, radical 口, rank #23778, Hard
suō(suo1) T1
  1. 1to suck
  2. 2to incite
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
唆suō(suo1)

The character 唆 (suō) primarily means 'to suck' or 'to incite.' It is often used in contexts where someone is inciting others to do something, potentially mischievous or harmful. Its meanings can vary slightly based on context, especially concerning the intent behind the action.

Strokes10Radical口Frequency#23778DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

唆 is often associated with the concept of instigation in Chinese culture, particularly in storytelling where characters incite others to mischief, reflecting moral lessons about the consequences of bad influence.

Memory Tip

Imagine a mischievous child (唆) sucking on a lollipop while trying to persuade their friends to join them in a prank. The '口' (mouth) radical suggests speaking or inciting, while the overall form reminds you of the act of sucking.

Meanings of 唆

suō(suo1)
1to suck
2to incite
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 唆

唆Simplified
10Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#23778Frequency Rank

Podcast: 唆

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Podcast: 唆

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AI Study Notes for 唆

Quick Contrast

唆 (suō) vs 煽 (shān) — choose 唆 for inciting in a mischievous context, while 煽 emphasizes stirring up emotions or unrest.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a mischievous child (唆) sucking on a lollipop while trying to persuade their friends to join them in a prank. The '口' (mouth) radical suggests speaking or inciting, while the overall form reminds you of the act of sucking.

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 唆, as it can carry negative connotations, especially when related to inciting trouble. It generally appears in informal contexts; using it in formal writing might seem inappropriate. Common collocations include 唆使 (to incite) and 唆动 (to instigate).

HSK Study Tips

Although 唆 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, its meaning connects to other HSK words related to actions and influence. Focus on understanding its use in phrases and its implications in conversation.

Cultural Note

唆 is often associated with the concept of instigation in Chinese culture, particularly in storytelling where characters incite others to mischief, reflecting moral lessons about the consequences of bad influence.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 唆 with 吸 (xī), which solely means 'to suck.' For example, saying '我唆这个糖果' (Wǒ suō zhège tángguǒ) instead of '我吸这个糖果' (Wǒ xī zhège tángguǒ) is incorrect when referring to sucking on candy.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 唆

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Etymology of 唆

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 夋 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)夋
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 唆?

Decomposition of 唆

IDS Structure⿰口夋
唆Full Character
=
口kou3
left
夋qun1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 唆?

Write 唆

唆

Practice writing 唆 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 唆

唆 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

因为这点已经是众所周知了，我就不再啰____了。

I won't belabour the point, for this is a familiar story.

Example Sentences for 唆 (6)

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1
因为这点已经是众所周知了，我就不再啰唆了。

yīn wéi zhè diǎn yǐ jīng shì zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī le， ， wǒ jiù bù zài luō suō。

I won't belabour the point, for this is a familiar story.
2
特拉斯科特说话啰唆，让人很难分清哪是纯粹的事实哪是添油加醋的修饰之辞。

tè lā sī kē tè shuō huà luō suō， ， ràng rén hěn nán fēn qīng nǎ shì chún cuì de shì shí nǎ shì tiān yóu jiā cù de xiū shì zhī。

Truscott's verbosity made it hard to separate plain fact from decorative embellishment.
3
是谁唆使他去做这件害人的事?

shì shuí suō shǐ tā qù zuò zhè jiàn hài rén de shì?

Who set him on to do this piece of mischief?
4
他说话啰唆,叫我们烦厌.

tā shuō huà luō suō, , jiào wǒ mén fán.

We became bored with his verbosity.
5
这篇文章内容不错, 只是文字略嫌罗唆.

zhè piān wén zhāng nèi róng bù cuò, , zhī shì wén zì lüè xián luó.

The article is good in content, only it's a bit wordy.
6
他教唆贼去抢劫银行.

tā jiào suō zéi qù qiāng jié yín háng.

He abetted the thief in robbing the bank.

Cultural Notes for 唆

🏮Cultural insight

唆 is often associated with the concept of instigation in Chinese culture, particularly in storytelling where characters incite others to mischief, reflecting moral lessons about the consequences of bad influence.

Word Family of 唆

Words Containing This Character6
教唆to instigate
唆suōto suck
挑唆to incite
罗唆incorrect variant of 囉嗦|啰嗦[luō​suo]羅唆
啰唆luōsuowordy囉唆
调唆to provoke調唆
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 教唆 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 唆

唆 can mean 'to suck' in a literal sense or 'to incite' in a more figurative sense, often with negative implications.