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撒 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
撒sāto let goHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto castHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto let looseHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto dischargeHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto give expression toHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto scatterHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto sprinkleHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto spillHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sāto disperse, to let go, to relaxHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto let goHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto castHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto let looseHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto dischargeHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto give expression toHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto scatterHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto sprinkleHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto spillHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
撒sǎto disperse, to let go, to relaxHSK 6, v, 15 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1869, Hard
sǎ(sa3)sa
primary
 T3
  1. 1to let go
  2. 2to cast
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March 24, 2026

撒sǎ(sa3)

撒 (sā) means to let go or cast something away, often used in contexts like scattering seeds or sprinkling something. It can also imply a sense of relaxation or letting loose, as in expressing feelings or thoughts freely. This verb is versatile and commonly used in both everyday conversation and more formal contexts.

Strokes15Radical扌Frequency#1869DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

撒 is often used in Chinese agricultural practices, reflecting the importance of farming in Chinese culture. The act of scattering seeds is symbolic of hope for a good harvest, which is central to Chinese traditions surrounding agriculture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer named 'Sā' who scatters seeds across his field. The shape of the character 撒 resembles a hand throwing seeds into the air. Picture him joyfully releasing the seeds, which helps you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 撒

sǎ(sa3)
primary
1to let go
2to cast
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 撒

撒Simplified
15Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1869Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 撒

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Podcast: 撒

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AI Study Notes for 撒

Quick Contrast

撒 (sā) vs 撒 (sǎ) — choose 撒 (sā) when referring to the action of letting go or casting away, while 撒 (sǎ) is used for scattering or sprinkling.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is confusing 撒 with similar verbs like 丢 (diū), which means to throw away. 撒 is more about scattering or sprinkling. It's generally informal, but can be used in various contexts; be mindful of collocations like 撒盐 (sā yán - to sprinkle salt) or 撒播 (sābō - to sow).

HSK Study Tips

While 撒 is not in the HSK curriculum, it connects to other verbs related to actions and movement, common in HSK 3 and above. Focus on its usage in phrases and how it can modify the meaning of nouns it accompanies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 撒 with other similar verbs, such as 撇 (piē - to throw aside) or 洒 (sǎ - to splash). For example, saying 撇盐 instead of 撒盐 is incorrect; use 撒盐 for sprinkling salt.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 撒

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Etymology of 撒

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 散 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

To scatter 散 seeds by hand 扌; 散 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 撒?

Decomposition of 撒

IDS Structure⿰扌散
撒Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
散san3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 撒?

How to say to let go in Chinese

“to let go” in Chinese is撒sā

撒 (sā) means to let go or cast something away, often used in contexts like scattering seeds or sprinkling something. It can also imply a sense of relaxation or letting loose, as in expressing feelings or thoughts freely. This verb is versatile and commonly used in both everyday conversation and more formal contexts.

When to use 撒

A common mistake is confusing 撒 with similar verbs like 丢 (diū), which means to throw away. 撒 is more about scattering or sprinkling. It's generally informal, but can be used in various contexts; be mindful of collocations like 撒盐 (sā yán - to sprinkle salt) or 撒播 (sābō - to sow).

撒 or something close to it

撒 (sā) vs 撒 (sǎ) — choose 撒 (sā) when referring to the action of letting go or casting away, while 撒 (sǎ) is used for scattering or sprinkling.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 撒 with other similar verbs, such as 撇 (piē - to throw aside) or 洒 (sǎ - to splash). For example, saying 撇盐 instead of 撒盐 is incorrect; use 撒盐 for sprinkling salt.

Write 撒

撒

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

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Grammar Patterns of 撒

撒 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 9 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

囚犯____野闹事，砸毁了所有挡路的东西。

The prisoners went on the rampage destroying everything in their way.

Example Sentences for 撒 (10)

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1
囚犯撒野闹事，砸毁了所有挡路的东西。

qiú fàn sā yě nào shì， ， zá huǐ le suǒ yǒu dǎng lù de dōng。

The prisoners went on the rampage destroying everything in their way.
2
狗喜欢在泥水洼里扑腾，河马则喜欢在其中打滚撒欢儿。

gǒu xǐ huān zài ní shuǐ wā lǐ pū téng， ， hé mǎ zé xǐ huān zài qí zhōng dǎ gǔn sā huān。

Dogs love splashing in mud and hippos wallow in it.
3
在肉上撒上盐，然后放进平底锅。

zài ròu shàng sā shàng yán， ， rán hòu fàng jìn píng dǐ。

Sprinkle the meat with salt and place in the pan.
4
挖掘工作已显示在该地区有罗马和盎格鲁-撒克逊时代的遗迹。

wā jué gōng zuò yǐ xiǎn shì zài gāi dì qū yǒu luó mǎ hé àng gé lǔ- - sā kè xùn shí dài de yí。

Ex-cavations have revealed Roman and Anglo-Saxon remains in the area.
5
他拿腔拿调地说道：“区别在于你们是盎格鲁—撒克逊人，我们是拉丁人。”

tā ná qiāng ná tiáo dì shuō dào：“ ：“ qū bié zài yú nǐ mén shì àng gé— lǔ — sā kè， xùn rén ， wǒ mén shì。”

"The dif-ference is," he said portentously, "you are Anglo-Saxons, we are Latins."
6
这种轮胎保证永远不会被扎破或撒气。

zhè zhǒng lún tāi bǎo zhèng yǒng yuǎn bù huì bèi zā pò huò sā qì。

The tyre is guaranteed never to puncture or go flat.
7
他突然有一种想扔掉水桶撒腿就跑的冲动。

tā tū rán yǒu yī zhǒng xiǎng rēng diào shuǐ tǒng sā tuǐ jiù pǎo de chōng dòng。

He felt a sudden compulsion to drop the bucket and run.
8
婴儿往便壶里撒了尿。

yīng ér wǎng biàn hú lǐ sā le niào。

The baby has done a wee in his potty.
9
在赫伯特·怀斯曼的风琴伴奏下，我们演唱了布莱克的《耶路撒冷》作为终曲。

zài hè bó tè· · huái sī màn de fēng qín bàn zòu， xià ， wǒ mén yǎn chàng le bù lái《 kè de 《 yé》 lù sā lěng 》。

We ended with Blake's Jerusalem, accompanied on the organ by Herbert Wiseman.
10
在宣誓的约束下，阿斯顿终于承认自己撒了谎。

zài xuān shì de yuē shù xià， ， ā sī dùn zhōng yú chéng rèn zì jǐ sā le。

Under oath, Aston finally admitted that he had lied.

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Word Family of 撒

Words Containing This Character20
撒sǎto let go
撒谎sāhuǎngto tell lies撒謊
撒娇to throw a tantrum撒嬌
撒旦Satan or Shaitan
耶路撒冷Jerusalem
撒尿to piss
凯撒Caesar or Kaiser (name)凱撒
恺撒Caesar (name)愷撒
撒手to give up
撒切尔Thatcher (name)撒切爾
撒野to behave atrociously
弥撒(Catholic) Mass彌撒
撒哈拉Sahara
撒腿to scram
撒手不管to take no part in
撒网to throw a net撒網
撒泼to make an unreasonable scene撒潑
播撒to sow (seeds)
抛撒to sprinkle拋撒
撒气to leak (of air)撒氣
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 撒

What does 撒谎 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 撒

Some common phrases include 撒种 (sā zhǒng - to sow seeds) and 撒盐 (sā yán - to sprinkle salt).

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