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缫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
缫sāoto draw, to reel inv, 14 strokes, radical 纟
缫sāoto reel silk from cocoonsunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟
sāo(sao1) T1
  1. 1to draw, to reel in
  2. 2to reel silk from cocoons
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March 24, 2026

缫(繅)sāo(sao1)

The character 缫 (sāo) primarily refers to the process of reeling silk from cocoons, a crucial step in silk production. It can also mean to draw or reel in materials, embodying a sense of pulling something towards oneself. This term is commonly used in the context of traditional silk weaving and textile production.

Strokes14Radical纟
Cultural Note

Silk production is a significant part of Chinese culture, with roots tracing back thousands of years. The practice of 缫 is vital in the traditional silk industry, reflecting China's historical prominence in silk trade along the Silk Road.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful silk worker gracefully reeling in threads from a cocoon. The character 缫 resembles a silk thread being drawn out, with the left side (糸) representing silk and the right side hinting at the action of drawing in. This imagery helps connect the character with its meaning and the pronunciation 'sāo'.

Meanings of 缫

sāo(sao1)
1to draw, to reel in
2to reel silk from cocoons
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 缫

缫Simplified
繅Traditional
14Strokes
纟Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 缫

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Podcast: 缫

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AI Study Notes for 缫

Usage Notes

When using 缫, it's important to maintain the correct tone, as it is pronounced with the first tone (sāo). Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding words, such as 燒 (shāo), which means to burn. This word is more commonly found in formal contexts related to silk production.

HSK Study Tips

While 缫 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, it shares a thematic connection with other words related to textiles and materials. Students should focus on the radicals and related vocabulary in the context of traditional crafts to deepen their understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 缫 with similar-sounding words, resulting in sentences like '我想缫这个' (I want to draw this) instead of the correct context-specific usage, which should be related to silk production. Remember, it should specifically refer to the action of reeling silk.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 缫

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Etymology of 缫

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

thread

Semantic (meaning)纟
+
Phonetic (sound)巢
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 缫

  1. 1The meaning half纟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half巢 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 缫? 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 缫?

Decomposition of 缫

IDS Structure⿰纟巢
缫Full Character
=
纟si1
left
巢Chao2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 缫?

How to say to draw, to reel in in Chinese

“to draw, to reel in” in Chinese is缫sāo

The character 缫 (sāo) primarily refers to the process of reeling silk from cocoons, a crucial step in silk production. It can also mean to draw or reel in materials, embodying a sense of pulling something towards oneself. This term is commonly used in the context of traditional silk weaving and textile production.

When to use 缫

When using 缫, it's important to maintain the correct tone, as it is pronounced with the first tone (sāo). Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding words, such as 燒 (shāo), which means to burn. This word is more commonly found in formal contexts related to silk production.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 缫 with similar-sounding words, resulting in sentences like '我想缫这个' (I want to draw this) instead of the correct context-specific usage, which should be related to silk production. Remember, it should specifically refer to the action of reeling silk.

Write 缫

缫

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

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Word Family of 缫

Words Containing This Character1
缫sāoto reel silk from cocoons繅
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 缫 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 缫

It refers to the process of reeling silk threads from cocoons.

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