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劭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
劭shàoto encourage; to excel; excellentg, 7 strokes, radical 力
劭shàosurname Shaounknown, 7 strokes, radical 力
shào(Shao4) T4
  1. 1to encourage; to excel; excellent
Also a Chinese surname, Shao — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

劭shào(Shao4)

The character 劭 (shào) primarily means to encourage or to excel, often used in contexts that relate to promoting excellence or outstanding qualities. It can also refer to the surname Shao, which is less common. In literary or formal contexts, it conveys a sense of uplifting or enhancing someone's abilities or attributes.

Strokes7Radical力
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of encouraging others is deeply rooted in educational values, where teachers and mentors are seen as important figures in guiding students toward excellence. This character reflects the cultural emphasis on support and encouragement in learning.

Memory Tip

Imagine a scholar (represented by the radical 力, meaning 'strength' or 'power') encouraging a student to excel in their studies. The character 劭 looks like a person with the strength to raise or uplift those around them, making it easier to remember its meaning of encouragement and excellence.

Meanings of 劭

shào(Shao4)
1to encourage; to excel; excellent
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 劭

劭Simplified
7Strokes
力Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 劭

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Podcast: 劭

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AI Study Notes for 劭

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 劭 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use it in formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases related to encouragement and excellence, and be mindful of tone when pronouncing it correctly.

HSK Study Tips

Although 劭 is not part of the official HSK curriculum, it can be useful for learners at HSK 4 and above, especially when expanding vocabulary related to encouragement and achievement. Focus on understanding its use in formal contexts and how it connects with other characters that convey excellence.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 劭 with the character 绍 (shào), which means to introduce. For example, saying '我想劭他' (I want to encourage him) is incorrect; the correct phrase should use 励 (lì) instead, as 劭 is not commonly used in this way.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 劭

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Etymology of 劭

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

strength

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 劭

  1. 1The meaning half力 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half召 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystrength
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 劭? 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 劭?

Decomposition of 劭

IDS Structure⿰召力
劭Full Character
=
召Shao4
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 劭?

How to say to encourage; to excel; excellent in Chinese

“to encourage; to excel; excellent” in Chinese is劭shào

The character 劭 (shào) primarily means to encourage or to excel, often used in contexts that relate to promoting excellence or outstanding qualities. It can also refer to the surname Shao, which is less common. In literary or formal contexts, it conveys a sense of uplifting or enhancing someone's abilities or attributes.

When to use 劭

Learners often confuse 劭 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use it in formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases related to encouragement and excellence, and be mindful of tone when pronouncing it correctly.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 劭 with the character 绍 (shào), which means to introduce. For example, saying '我想劭他' (I want to encourage him) is incorrect; the correct phrase should use 励 (lì) instead, as 劭 is not commonly used in this way.

Write 劭

劭

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 劭

Words Containing This Character2
劭shàosurname Shao
年高德劭to be advanced in both years and virtue (idiom)
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 劭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 劭

It is pronounced as 'shào', with a falling tone.

Jason Recommends

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