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飄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
飄piāoto drift, to float, to flutterzg, 20 strokes, radical 風
piāo(piao1)piao T1
  1. 1to drift, to float, to flutter
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March 24, 2026

飄piāo(piao1)

The character 飄 (piāo) means to drift, float, or flutter, often used to describe something that moves lightly and gracefully through the air. Common contexts include talking about leaves, kites, or anything that can be carried by the wind. It conveys a sense of lightness and freedom in movement.

Strokes20Radical風
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the image of drifting or floating often relates to nature and poetry, symbolizing freedom and the transient nature of life. For instance, the imagery of flowers drifting on water is a common theme in traditional Chinese poetry.

Memory tip

Imagine a colorful kite (representing 飄) floating in the sky. The top part of the character, 飄, resembles the shape of a fluttering kite, while the bottom suggests movement through the air. The sound 'piāo' can remind you of the soft 'p' sound that a kite makes as it dances in the breeze.

Meanings of 飄

piāo(piao1)
1to drift, to float, to flutter
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 飄 means.

About 飄

飄Simplified
20Strokes
風Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 飄

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Podcast: 飄

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AI study notes for 飄

Quick Contrast

飘 (piāo) vs 飞 (fēi): Use 飘 for gentle, light movement, while 飞 indicates a more forceful or purposeful flight.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 飄 with similar characters like 飛 (fēi), which means 'to fly.' 飄 is more about light movement and drifting. It’s commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, but ensure you pair it with words that denote lightness, such as '葉子' (yèzi, leaf) or '花瓣' (huābàn, petal).

HSK Study Tips

While 飄 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, its components can help in recognizing other characters. Focus on the radical 飠, which relates to food or movement, and practice other words with similar structures to enhance your understanding of character formation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 飄 with 飛 (fēi) and use it incorrectly in contexts that imply speed or force. For example, saying '飛葉子' (flying leaves) instead of '飄葉子' (drifting leaves) misrepresents the gentle nature of the movement.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 飄

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Etymology of 飄

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

Phonosemantic compound. 风 represents the meaning and 票 represents the sound. Simplified form of 飄.

Memory hint

wind

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

Origin

飄 = 風 + 票. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 飄

IDS Structure⿰票風
飄Full character
=
票piao4
left
風feng1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 飄?

How to say to drift, to float, to flutter in Chinese

“to drift, to float, to flutter” in Chinese is飄piāo

The character 飄 (piāo) means to drift, float, or flutter, often used to describe something that moves lightly and gracefully through the air. Common contexts include talking about leaves, kites, or anything that can be carried by the wind. It conveys a sense of lightness and freedom in movement.

When to use 飄

Be careful not to confuse 飄 with similar characters like 飛 (fēi), which means 'to fly.' 飄 is more about light movement and drifting. It’s commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, but ensure you pair it with words that denote lightness, such as '葉子' (yèzi, leaf) or '花瓣' (huābàn, petal).

飄 or something close to it

飘 (piāo) vs 飞 (fēi): Use 飘 for gentle, light movement, while 飞 indicates a more forceful or purposeful flight.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 飄 with 飛 (fēi) and use it incorrectly in contexts that imply speed or force. For example, saying '飛葉子' (flying leaves) instead of '飄葉子' (drifting leaves) misrepresents the gentle nature of the movement.

Write 飄

飄

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

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Word Family of 飄

Words containing this character20
飘piāoto float飃
飘逸graceful飄逸
飘扬piāoyángto wave飄揚
飘飘to float about飄飄
飘飘然elated飄飄然
飘荡to drift飄盪
飘落to float down飄落
轻飘飘light as a feather輕飄飄
飘浮to float飄浮
飘忽fleet飄忽
飘渺as in a mist飄渺
飘然swiftly飄然
飘零(fig.) drifting and homeless飄零
飘散to drift飄散
飘动to float飄動
飘香(of a fragrance) to waft about飄香
飘舞to fly up飄舞
飘移to drift飄移
风雨飘摇(of a situation) unstable風雨飄搖
飘流rafting飄流
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 飄

What does 飘 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 飄

An example would be: '葉子在風中飄.' (The leaves drift in the wind.)

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