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扫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
扫
sǎo
to sweep
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sǎo
broom
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sǎo
to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
to sweep
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
broom
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
sǎo(sao3)sao
primary
T3
1to sweep
2broom
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March 24, 2026
扫(掃)sǎo(sao3)
The character 扫 (sǎo) primarily means 'to sweep' or 'to clean.' It is commonly used in contexts related to cleaning spaces, such as sweeping the floor, as well as metaphorically, like sweeping away obstacles or problems. This word emphasizes the action of removing dirt or unwanted things.
Strokes6Radical扌Frequency#4782DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with good luck and fortune, making sweeping a significant activity during festivals like the Lunar New Year, when people sweep away bad luck to welcome the new year.
Memory tip
Imagine a person sweeping away dust with a broom, represented by the character 扫. The '扌' radical on the left resembles a hand, indicating an action, while the '扫' part sounds like 'sao,' reminding you of the sweeping sound made during cleaning.
Meanings of 扫
sǎo(sao3)
primary
1to sweep
2broom
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 扫
扫Simplified
掃Traditional
6Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#4782Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L3IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 扫
Podcast: 扫
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AI study notes for 扫
Quick Contrast
清 (qīng) vs 洗 (xǐ) — use 扫 when emphasizing the action of sweeping away dirt, while 清 focuses on making something clean in general, and 洗 specifically refers to washing.
Usage Notes
Be careful with the usage of 扫 as it is primarily an action verb and may not apply in all cleaning contexts. It's more informal, suitable for everyday conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 扫地 (sǎo dì - to sweep the floor) and 扫除 (sǎo chú - to eliminate).
HSK Study Tips
While 扫 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it connects with other action verbs like 洗 (xǐ - to wash) and 拖 (tuō - to mop) at HSK 2. Students should focus on the pronunciation and tone, as the third tone can sometimes lead to confusion with other similar-sounding words.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 扫 with 洗 (xǐ), leading to mistakes like saying '我在洗地' (Wǒ zài xǐ dì - I am washing the floor) instead of '我在扫地.' Remember, 扫 is specific to sweeping, not washing.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 扫
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The character 扫 (sǎo) primarily means 'to sweep' or 'to clean.' It is commonly used in contexts related to cleaning spaces, such as sweeping the floor, as well as metaphorically, like sweeping away obstacles or problems. This word emphasizes the action of removing dirt or unwanted things.
When to use 扫
Be careful with the usage of 扫 as it is primarily an action verb and may not apply in all cleaning contexts. It's more informal, suitable for everyday conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 扫地 (sǎo dì - to sweep the floor) and 扫除 (sǎo chú - to eliminate).
扫 or something close to it
清 (qīng) vs 洗 (xǐ) — use 扫 when emphasizing the action of sweeping away dirt, while 清 focuses on making something clean in general, and 洗 specifically refers to washing.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 扫 with 洗 (xǐ), leading to mistakes like saying '我在洗地' (Wǒ zài xǐ dì - I am washing the floor) instead of '我在扫地.' Remember, 扫 is specific to sweeping, not washing.
Write 扫
扫
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Grammar patterns of 扫
扫 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.
The hostage release could clear the decks for war.
10
她会把房子彻底打扫一下。
tā huì bǎ fángzi chèdǐ dǎsǎo yíxià。
She would clean the house from top to bottom.
vbroom2
11
他用扫帚在院子里扫树叶。
Tā yòng sàozhǒu zài yuànzi lǐ sǎo shùyè.
He used a broom to sweep the leaves in the yard.
12
他用扫帚在院子里扫树叶。
Tā yòng sàozhǒu zài yuànzi lǐ sǎo shùyè.
He used a broom to sweep the leaves in the yard.
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Cultural Notes for 扫
💡Did you know?
In Chinese culture, sweeping the floor is often associated with sweeping away bad luck and welcoming good fortune, especially during the New Year celebrations.
Word Family of 扫
Words containing this character20
扫sǎoto sweep掃
扫描sǎomiáoto scan掃描
打扫dǎsǎoto clean打掃
扫地sǎodìto sweep the floor掃地
清扫qīngsǎoto tidy up清掃
扫兴sǎoxìngto feel disappointed掃興
横扫héngsǎoto sweep away橫掃
扫荡sǎodàngto root out掃蕩
扫帚sàozhoubroom掃帚
扫除sǎochúto sweep掃除
扫射sǎoshèto strafe掃射
扫描仪sǎomiáoyíscanner (device)掃描儀
扫墓sǎomùthe Qingming festival掃墓
扫把sàobǎbroom掃把
扫盲sǎomángto wipe out illiteracy掃盲
扫视sǎoshìto run one's eyes over掃視
扫黄sǎohuángcampaign against pornography掃黃
扫描器sǎomiáoqìscanner掃描器
一扫而光yìsǎo’érguāngto clear off一掃而光
扫雷sǎoléiminesweeper (computer game)掃雷
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 扫
What does 扫描 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 扫
扫 (sǎo) specifically refers to the action of sweeping, while 清理 (qīnglǐ) means to clean or tidy up, which can encompass a broader range of cleaning activities. Essentially, 扫 focuses on the sweeping action, whereas 清理 implies a more comprehensive cleaning process.
Yes, 扫 can be part of idiomatic expressions in Chinese. For example, '扫兴' (sǎo xìng) means 'to dampen enthusiasm' or 'to ruin the fun,' indicating that the character can also convey metaphorical meanings beyond its literal usage.
扫 (sǎo) means 'to sweep' in Chinese. It can refer to the action of cleaning a surface, such as using a broom or wiping away dust. This character can also imply weeding out or eliminating something.
You can use 扫 in a sentence like '我每天扫地' (Wǒ měitiān sǎo dì), which means 'I sweep the floor every day.' It indicates the action of cleaning and can be paired with objects to specify what is being swept.
You can say '我在扫地' (Wǒ zài sǎo dì) which means 'I am sweeping the floor.'
Yes, 扫 can also be used metaphorically, such as 扫除障碍 (sǎo chú zhàng ài), meaning 'to eliminate obstacles.'
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