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啸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
啸xiàoto hissv, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #71068, Very Hard
啸xiàoto whistlev, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #71068, Very Hard
啸xiàoto roar, to howl; to scream; to whistlev, 11 strokes, radical 口, rank #71068, Very Hard
xiào(xiao4) T4
  1. 1to hiss
  2. 2to whistle
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

啸(嘯)xiào(xiao4)

The character 啸 (xiào) refers to the action of producing a high-pitched sound, such as a hiss or whistle. It is commonly used to describe sounds made by animals, particularly in the context of howling or roaring, and can also be applied to human sounds like screaming or whistling. This character conveys a sense of intensity and emotion associated with the sound being made.

Strokes11Radical口Frequency#71068DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry and literature, sounds like 啸 are often used to evoke a sense of nature or the emotional state of characters, linking the sound to deeper themes of solitude or freedom. It reflects the appreciation of nature in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wolf howling at the moon, producing a loud 'xiào' sound that echoes through the night. The character 啸 resembles a mouth (口) making a loud noise, while the 'xi' part can remind you of the start of the 'scream' it represents.

Meanings of 啸

xiào(xiao4)
1to hiss
2to whistle
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 啸

啸Simplified
嘯Traditional
11Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#65535Frequency Rank

Podcast: 啸

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Podcast: 啸

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AI Study Notes for 啸

Quick Contrast

啼 (tí) - use 啸 (xiào) for high-pitched sounds like howling or whistling, while 啼 (tí) specifically refers to the cries of birds or infants.

Usage Notes

When using 啸, be mindful of its context as it conveys strong emotions or sounds. It is more formal and literary compared to everyday terms for whistling or hissing. Common collocations include 啸叫 (to howl) and 啸风 (to whistle in the wind).

HSK Study Tips

Although 啸 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to other sound-related verbs like 吼 (hǒu - to roar) or 哭 (kū - to cry), which students should also focus on. Understanding these connections can enhance comprehension of emotional expressions in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 啸 with other similar-sounding characters like 哮 (xiāo), which means to bark. A common mistake is using 啸 to describe everyday sounds like talking, which is incorrect; use 说 (shuō) instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 啸

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Etymology of 啸

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 肃 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嘯.

Memory Hint

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 啸

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 肃 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嘯.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half肃 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 啸? 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 啸?

Decomposition of 啸

IDS Structure⿰口肃
啸Full Character
=
口kou3
left
肃Su4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 啸?

How to say to hiss in Chinese

“to hiss” in Chinese is啸xiào

The character 啸 (xiào) refers to the action of producing a high-pitched sound, such as a hiss or whistle. It is commonly used to describe sounds made by animals, particularly in the context of howling or roaring, and can also be applied to human sounds like screaming or whistling. This character conveys a sense of intensity and emotion associated with the sound being made.

When to use 啸

When using 啸, be mindful of its context as it conveys strong emotions or sounds. It is more formal and literary compared to everyday terms for whistling or hissing. Common collocations include 啸叫 (to howl) and 啸风 (to whistle in the wind).

啸 or something close to it

啼 (tí) - use 啸 (xiào) for high-pitched sounds like howling or whistling, while 啼 (tí) specifically refers to the cries of birds or infants.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 啸 with other similar-sounding characters like 哮 (xiāo), which means to bark. A common mistake is using 啸 to describe everyday sounds like talking, which is incorrect; use 说 (shuō) instead.

Write 啸

啸

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 啸

啸 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

他谈话时，一架军用喷气式飞机在镇子上空呼____而过。

As he talked, an airforce jet screamed over the town.

Example Sentences for 啸 (6)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他谈话时，一架军用喷气式飞机在镇子上空呼啸而过。

tā tán huà shí， ， yī jià jūn yòng pēn qì shì fēi jī zài zhèn zǐ shàng kōng hū xiào ér。

As he talked, an airforce jet screamed over the town.
2
头顶上，直升机在呼啸，巨大的螺旋桨叶片搅动着空气。

tóu dǐng shàng， ， zhí shēng jī zài hū， xiào ， jù dà de luó xuán jiǎng yè piàn jiǎo dòng zháo。

Overhead, the chopper roared and the big blades churned the air.
3
1346年的飓风引起海啸并摧毁了城镇。

1346 1346 nián de jù fēng yǐn qǐ hǎi xiào bìng cuī huǐ le chéng。

In 1346 a hurricane whipped up the sea to destroy the town.
4
气流一直从我们身边呼啸而过。

qì liú yī zhí cóng wǒ mén shēn biān hū xiào ér guò。

The air was rushing past us all the time.
5
紧闭的窗户外狂风呼啸。

jǐn bì de chuāng hù wài kuáng fēng hū xiào。

The wind wailed outside the closed windows.
6
我们听到头顶上子弹呼啸而过的声音时就趴在地上.

wǒ mén tīng dào tóu dǐng shàng zǐ dàn hū xiào ér guò de shēng yīn shí jiù pā zài dì shàng.

We laid ourselves flat when we heard the bullets whistling overhead.

Word Family of 啸

Words Containing This Character5
海啸hǎixiàotsunami海嘯
呼啸hūxiàoto whistle呼嘯
啸xiàoto hiss嘯
汪啸风Wang Xiaofeng (1944-), fourth governor of Hainan汪嘯風
奚啸伯Xi Xiaobo (1910-1977), Beijing opera star, one of the Four great beards 四大鬚生|四大须生奚嘯伯
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 海啸 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 啸

啸 is not commonly used in everyday conversation but appears in literary contexts to convey intensity in sounds.

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