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嚣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嚣xiāoto make noise; to treat with contemptl, 18 strokes, radical 口, rank #24567, Very Hard
嚣xiāoclamorunknown, 18 strokes, radical 口, rank #24567, Very Hard
xiāo(xiao1)xiao T1
  1. 1to make noise; to treat with contempt
  2. 2clamor
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March 24, 2026

嚣(囂)xiāo(xiao1)

The character 嚣 (xiāo) primarily means to make a loud noise or clamor, often in a chaotic or disruptive manner. It can also imply treating something or someone with contempt or disdain, suggesting a lack of respect. This word is commonly used in contexts where noise levels are high or when referring to people being boisterous or unruly.

Strokes18Radical口Frequency#24567DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, loudness can often be associated with disrespectful behavior, especially in public spaces. Knowing when and where it is inappropriate to be loud can reflect one’s understanding of social etiquette.

Memory tip

Imagine a group of people making a ruckus at a concert, their loud voices rising above the music. The character 嚣 has a 'mouth' radical (口) at the bottom, suggesting noise coming from the mouth. Visualize these loud mouths causing a commotion, which helps you remember that 嚣 relates to noise and clamor.

Meanings of 嚣

xiāo(xiao1)
1to make noise; to treat with contempt
2clamor
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 嚣

嚣Simplified
囂Traditional
18Strokes
口Radical
习用语phrase (phr.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嚣

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Podcast: 嚣

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AI Study Notes for 嚣

Quick Contrast

喧 (xuān) — use 嚣 (xiāo) when emphasizing chaotic or disruptive noise, while 喧 (xuān) focuses more on loudness without the connotation of contempt.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 嚣 with similar-sounding words. It is generally used in informal contexts, so it may not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 嚣张 (to be arrogant or boastful) and 嚣闹 (to make a racket).

HSK Study Tips

Although 嚣 is not an HSK level word, it can be connected to words related to noise and sound at the intermediate level, like 声音 (shēngyīn - sound) and 喧哗 (xuānhuá - noise). Students should focus on recognizing the character and its usage in descriptive contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嚣 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 叫 (jiào - to shout). For example, saying '他很嚣' (tā hěn xiāo) incorrectly implies he is good at shouting, while it should be used to indicate he is being loud or disrespectful.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嚣

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Etymology of 嚣

Decomposition of 嚣

IDS Structure⿳⿰口口页⿰口口
嚣Full character
=
口kou3
left
口kou3
right
页ye4
口kou3
left
口kou3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嚣?

How to say to make noise; to treat with contempt in Chinese

“to make noise; to treat with contempt” in Chinese is嚣xiāo

The character 嚣 (xiāo) primarily means to make a loud noise or clamor, often in a chaotic or disruptive manner. It can also imply treating something or someone with contempt or disdain, suggesting a lack of respect. This word is commonly used in contexts where noise levels are high or when referring to people being boisterous or unruly.

When to use 嚣

Be careful not to confuse 嚣 with similar-sounding words. It is generally used in informal contexts, so it may not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 嚣张 (to be arrogant or boastful) and 嚣闹 (to make a racket).

嚣 or something close to it

喧 (xuān) — use 嚣 (xiāo) when emphasizing chaotic or disruptive noise, while 喧 (xuān) focuses more on loudness without the connotation of contempt.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嚣 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 叫 (jiào - to shout). For example, saying '他很嚣' (tā hěn xiāo) incorrectly implies he is good at shouting, while it should be used to indicate he is being loud or disrespectful.

Write 嚣

嚣

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

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Grammar Patterns of 嚣

嚣 carries 2 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 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

迪西岛是当今世上仅存的几个不染尘____的岛屿之一,距澳大利亚近5,000公里。

Ducie is one of the world's last untouched islands, nearly 5,000km from Australia.

Example Sentences for 嚣 (1)

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1
迪西岛是当今世上仅存的几个不染尘嚣的岛屿之一,距澳大利亚近5,000公里。

dí xī dǎo shì dāngjīn shì shàng jǐn cún de jǐ gè bù rǎn chén xiāo de dǎoyǔ zhīyī, jù ào dà lì yà jìn5,000 gōnglǐ。

Ducie is one of the world's last untouched islands, nearly 5,000km from Australia.

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Word Family of 嚣

Words containing this character7
嚣张rampant囂張
叫嚣to hoot叫囂
喧嚣to clamor喧囂
嚣xiāoclamor囂
甚嚣尘上to raise a tremendous stink甚囂塵上
尘嚣hubbub塵囂
嚣张气焰overweening attitude囂張氣焰
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 嚣

What does 嚣张 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嚣

In everyday conversations, 嚣 often refers to people being noisy or causing a disturbance, like at a party or during a protest.

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