Meanings of 掃
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About 掃
Podcast: 掃
Podcast: 掃
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AI Study Notes for 掃
清 (qīng) - use 掃 (sǎo) for physical cleaning actions, while 清 (qīng) is more about clarity or purity.
Learners often confuse 掃 with 清理 (qīnglǐ), which means to tidy up or organize, rather than just sweeping. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, so pay attention to collocations like 掃地 (sǎo dì - sweep the floor) and 掃除 (sǎochú - to clean up).
Although 掃 is not explicitly listed in the HSK levels, it relates to HSK 2 vocabulary about daily activities, such as cleaning. Students should focus on practicing its use in sentences related to household chores.
Learners often forget to use the correct measure word when talking about the objects being cleaned. For example, saying '我掃一個地' (Wǒ sǎo yī gè dì) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我掃地' (Wǒ sǎo dì) without the measure word.
Pronunciation of 掃
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Etymology of 掃
Simplified form of 掃. Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 帚 represents the sound.
To use 扌 a broom 帚; 帚 also provides the pronunciation
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 掃
Simplified form of 掃. Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 帚 represents the sound.
- 1The giveawayTo use 扌 a broom 帚; 帚 also provides the pronunciation
- 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 掃? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 掃?
Decomposition of 掃
Identify the Components
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How to say to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out in Chinese
“to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out” in Chinese is掃
The character 掃 (sǎo) primarily means 'to sweep' or 'to clean' and is commonly used in contexts involving cleaning spaces or removing dirt. It can also imply 'to wipe away' or 'to weed out' in a broader sense, such as eliminating unwanted elements or ideas.
When to use 掃
Learners often confuse 掃 with 清理 (qīnglǐ), which means to tidy up or organize, rather than just sweeping. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, so pay attention to collocations like 掃地 (sǎo dì - sweep the floor) and 掃除 (sǎochú - to clean up).
掃 or something close to it
清 (qīng) - use 掃 (sǎo) for physical cleaning actions, while 清 (qīng) is more about clarity or purity.
What learners get wrong
Learners often forget to use the correct measure word when talking about the objects being cleaned. For example, saying '我掃一個地' (Wǒ sǎo yī gè dì) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我掃地' (Wǒ sǎo dì) without the measure word.
Write 掃
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Practice writing 掃 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 掃
Compound Meaning
What does 扫 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 掃
掃 specifically refers to the action of sweeping or cleaning, while 清理 means to tidy up or organize.
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