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March 24, 2026
蕭xiāo(xiao1)
The character 蕭 (xiāo) primarily means 'mournful' or 'desolate.' It can describe a feeling of sadness or loneliness, often used in poetic contexts. Additionally, it refers to a type of plant, commonly known as common Artemisia, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and culinary practices.
Strokes17Radical艹
Cultural Note
蕭 is often associated with traditional Chinese poetry, where themes of loss and longing are prevalent. The character appears in works that reflect on nature's beauty and the melancholy of human experience, emphasizing the deep emotional connection in Chinese literature.
Memory Tip
Imagine a solitary figure standing in a vast, empty field of Artemisia, feeling the chill of the wind—a scene that evokes a sense of desolation. The character 蕭 has a 'grass' radical (艹) at the top, hinting at its connection to plants, while the bottom part '肖' sounds like 'xiāo,' which you can remember as 'sad Xiao' standing alone.
Meanings of 蕭
xiāo(xiao1)
1mournful, desolate; common Artemisa
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 蕭
蕭Simplified
17Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 蕭
Podcast: 蕭
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AI Study Notes for 蕭
Usage Notes
When using 蕭 to express feelings, it is often in a literary context. Avoid using it in casual conversation where direct emotions are expressed; instead, use it in poetry or reflective writing. Be careful with the tone; the first tone (xiāo) is crucial as a mispronunciation can change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Although 蕭 is not included in HSK levels, it connects with HSK vocabulary related to emotions and nature. Students should focus on the emotional connotations of the word and practice using it in more complex sentence structures to convey nuanced feelings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 蕭 with similar sounding characters like 小 (xiǎo, small) due to pronunciation. Always remember that 蕭 carries a mournful meaning, while 小 is a completely different word meaning 'small.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 蕭
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How Well Do You Know 蕭?
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蕭 = 肅 + 艹. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 蕭
IDS Structure⿱艹肅
蕭Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
肅su4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 蕭?
How to say mournful, desolate; common Artemisa in Chinese
“mournful, desolate; common Artemisa” in Chinese is蕭xiāo
The character 蕭 (xiāo) primarily means 'mournful' or 'desolate.' It can describe a feeling of sadness or loneliness, often used in poetic contexts. Additionally, it refers to a type of plant, commonly known as common Artemisia, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and culinary practices.
When to use 蕭
When using 蕭 to express feelings, it is often in a literary context. Avoid using it in casual conversation where direct emotions are expressed; instead, use it in poetry or reflective writing. Be careful with the tone; the first tone (xiāo) is crucial as a mispronunciation can change the meaning.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 蕭 with similar sounding characters like 小 (xiǎo, small) due to pronunciation. Always remember that 蕭 carries a mournful meaning, while 小 is a completely different word meaning 'small.'
Write 蕭
蕭
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Word Family of 蕭
Words Containing This Character17
萧xiāomiserable蕭
萧条xiāotiáobleak蕭條
萧山Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou city 杭州市[Hángzhōushì], Zhejiang蕭山
萧瑟to rustle蕭瑟
萧邦Frédéric Chopin (Composer)蕭邦
萧然desolate蕭然
萧何Xiao He (-193 BC), famous strategist and chancellor, fought on Liu Bang's 劉邦|刘邦[LiúBāng] side during the Chu-Han Contention 楚漢戰爭|楚汉战争[ChǔHànZhànzhēng]蕭何
萧山区Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou city 杭州市[Hángzhōushì], Zhejiang蕭山區
萧万长Vincent C. Siew (1939-), Taiwanese diplomat and Kuomintang politician, prime minister 1997-2000, vice president 2008-2012蕭萬長
萧乾Xiao Qian (1910-1999), Mongolian-born, Cambridge-educated journalist active during Second World War in Europe, subsequently famous author and translator蕭乾
萧红Xiao Hong (1911-1942), prominent woman writer, originally from Heilongjiang蕭紅
萧县Xiao county in Suzhou 宿州[Sùzhōu], Anhui蕭縣
萧规曹随to follow precedent蕭規曹隨
萧墙(literary) screen wall shielding an entrance in traditional Chinese architecture蕭牆
萧一山Xiao Yishan (1902-1978), Modern historian of the Qing dynasty蕭一山
萧梁Liang of the Southern dynasties (502-557)蕭梁
萧子显Xiao Zixian (487-537), writer and historian of Liang of Southern Dynasties, compiler of History of Qi of the Southern dynasties 南齊書 南齐书蕭子顯
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 蕭
What does 萧 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 蕭
You can say '他的诗歌充满了蕭条的情感' (His poetry is full of mournful emotions).
Yes, while it's more common in literary contexts, it can still be used to describe feelings in modern writing.
蕭 often implies a sense of emptiness or desolation, while 悲 (bēi) directly translates to 'sad' or 'sorrowful,' focusing more on the emotion itself.
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