unknown, 11 strokes, radical 礻, rank #24492, Very Hard
祷
dǎo
supplication
unknown, 11 strokes, radical 礻, rank #24492, Very Hard
dǎo(dao3) T3
1to pray, to entreat, to beg; prayer
2pray
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March 24, 2026
祷(禱)dǎo(dao3)
The character 祷 (dǎo) means 'to pray' or 'to entreat.' It is often used in religious contexts, where individuals express desires or seek assistance from a higher power. The nuance of this character conveys a sense of earnestness and humility in the act of supplication.
Strokes11Radical礻Frequency#24492DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, prayer is often linked to ancestral worship and seeking blessings from deities. The act of praying at temples during festivals is a common practice, reflecting the importance of spirituality in daily life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person kneeling with hands together in prayer, where the left side of the character (示) represents a shrine or altar, and the right side (刀) symbolizes a knife cutting through challenges, showing the earnestness of their request. The pronunciation 'dǎo' sounds like 'doll,' which can remind you of a child praying for their doll's safety.
Meanings of 祷
dǎo(dao3)
1to pray, to entreat, to beg; prayer
2pray
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 祷
祷Simplified
禱Traditional
11Strokes
礻Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 祷
Podcast: 祷
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AI Study Notes for 祷
Quick Contrast
祈 (qí) — use 祷 (dǎo) when emphasizing earnest supplication, while 祈 (qí) is more general and can imply a simpler wish or hope.
Usage Notes
Avoid using 祷 in overly casual contexts, as it carries a formal or spiritual weight. Common collocations include 祷告 (dǎogào), meaning 'to pray' in a religious sense. Be careful with the tone; mispronouncing it with a different tone can lead to confusion with unrelated words.
HSK Study Tips
While 祷 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to other religious or spiritual vocabulary in Chinese. Focus on memorizing this character alongside related terms like 祈祷 (qídǎo, to pray) to deepen understanding of its usage.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 祷 with 祝, mistakenly using 祝 when they intend to express a prayerful sentiment. For example, saying 祝你健康 (Zhù nǐ jiànkāng) instead of 祷告你健康 (Dǎogào nǐ jiànkāng) when conveying a prayer for health.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 祷
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Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 寿 represents the sound. Simplified form of 禱.
1The meaning half礻 carries the sense.
2The sound half寿 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayspirit
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 祷? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 祷?
Decomposition of 祷
IDS Structure⿰礻寿
祷Full Character
=
礻shi4
left
寿Shou4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 祷?
How to say to pray, to entreat, to beg; prayer in Chinese
“to pray, to entreat, to beg; prayer” in Chinese is祷dǎo
The character 祷 (dǎo) means 'to pray' or 'to entreat.' It is often used in religious contexts, where individuals express desires or seek assistance from a higher power. The nuance of this character conveys a sense of earnestness and humility in the act of supplication.
When to use 祷
Avoid using 祷 in overly casual contexts, as it carries a formal or spiritual weight. Common collocations include 祷告 (dǎogào), meaning 'to pray' in a religious sense. Be careful with the tone; mispronouncing it with a different tone can lead to confusion with unrelated words.
祷 or something close to it
祈 (qí) — use 祷 (dǎo) when emphasizing earnest supplication, while 祈 (qí) is more general and can imply a simpler wish or hope.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 祷 with 祝, mistakenly using 祝 when they intend to express a prayerful sentiment. For example, saying 祝你健康 (Zhù nǐ jiànkāng) instead of 祷告你健康 (Dǎogào nǐ jiànkāng) when conveying a prayer for health.
Write 祷
祷
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Practice writing 祷 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 祷
祷 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
这位上校低头轻声做感恩祈____。
The Colonel bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving.
