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螺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
螺luóspiral shell, conch; spiraln, 17 strokes, radical 虫, rank #28498, Very Hard
螺luósnailunknown, 17 strokes, radical 虫, rank #28498, Very Hard
luó(luo2) T2
  1. 1spiral shell, conch; spiral
  2. 2snail
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March 24, 2026

螺luó(luo2)

The character 螺 (luó) refers to a spiral shell or conch, often associated with snails and other mollusks. It can also describe anything that has a spiral shape. In culinary contexts, it often refers to dishes made with conch or snails.

Strokes17Radical虫Frequency#28498DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, 螺 refers to dishes made from conch, which is considered a delicacy in coastal regions. The preparation and consumption of conch showcase the importance of seafood in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a snail (螺) carrying its spiral shell on its back. The character looks like a shell, with the curved lines representing the spiral shape. Picture the snail slowly moving in a spiral path, reminding you of the pronunciation 'luó'.

Meanings of 螺

luó(luo2)
1spiral shell, conch; spiral
2snail
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 螺

螺Simplified
17Strokes
虫Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 螺

JasonAmy

Podcast: 螺

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AI Study Notes for 螺

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a snail (螺) carrying its spiral shell on its back. The character looks like a shell, with the curved lines representing the spiral shape. Picture the snail slowly moving in a spiral path, reminding you of the pronunciation 'luó'.

Usage Notes

This character is typically used in both formal and informal contexts. Common collocations include 螺丝 (luósī, screw) and 螺旋 (luóxuán, spiral). Be careful with the second tone, as it can change the meaning if mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

Although 螺 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, it can be related to other HSK level words like 螺旋 (spiral) at HSK 5. Students should focus on the character's components and related terms to understand its usage better.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, 螺 refers to dishes made from conch, which is considered a delicacy in coastal regions. The preparation and consumption of conch showcase the importance of seafood in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 螺 with similar characters like 罗 (luó) which means net or to collect. A common mistake is using 螺 when referring to fish, but the correct term for fish is 鱼 (yú).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 螺

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Etymology of 螺

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

insect

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)累
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 螺?

Decomposition of 螺

IDS Structure⿰虫累
螺Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
累Lei2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 螺?

Write 螺

螺

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

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Grammar Patterns of 螺

螺 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 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

我尤其喜欢那种用____钉固定在墙上的搁板。

I particularly like the type of shelving that screws to the wall.

Example Sentences for 螺 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我尤其喜欢那种用螺钉固定在墙上的搁板。

wǒ yóu qí xǐ huān nà zhǒng yòng luó dīng gù dìng zài qiáng shàng de gē bǎn。

I particularly like the type of shelving that screws to the wall.
2
伴随着隆隆的低沉噪声，螺旋桨开始旋转起来。

bàn suí zháo lóng lóng de dī chén zào shēng， ， luó xuán jiǎng kāi shǐ xuán zhuǎn qǐ。

With a low-pitched rumbling noise, the propeller began to rotate.
3
他已经快把螺丝帽拧下来了。

tā yǐ jīng kuài bǎ luó sī mào níng xià lái le。

He had unscrewed the caps most of the way.
4
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.
5
我用拇指指甲把台灯上的螺钉拧紧了。

wǒ yòng mǔ zhǐ zhǐ jiǎ bǎ tái dēng shàng de luó dīng níng jǐn le。

I used my thumbnail to tighten the screw on my lamp.
6
每一束螺旋光都分解成了光点。

měi yī shù luó xuán guāng dū fēn jiě chéng le guāng diǎn。

Each of the spirals of light resolved into points.
7
先松开螺母，然后卸下车轮。

xiān sōng kāi luó mǔ， ， rán hòu xiè xià chē。

First loosen the nuts, then take off the wheel.
8
直升机的螺旋桨开始转动时，尽量离远点儿。

zhí shēng jī de luó xuán jiǎng kāi shǐ zhuǎn dòng shí， ， jìn liáng lí yuǎn diǎn。

Stay well away from the helicopter when its blades start to rotate.
9
除了螺钉外,还要用优质防水黏合剂.

chú le luó dīng wài, , huán yào yòng yōu zhì fáng shuǐ nián hé.

Use a good waterproof adhesive in addition to the screws.
10
螺母上有内 ( 或阴 ) 螺纹,与螺栓上的螺纹相啮合.

luó mǔ shàng yǒu nèi( ( huò) yīn ), luó wén , yǔ luó shuān shàng de luó wén.

Nuts have internal ( or female ) threads to match those of the Bolt.

Cultural Notes for 螺

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, 螺 refers to dishes made from conch, which is considered a delicacy in coastal regions. The preparation and consumption of conch showcase the importance of seafood in Chinese culture.

Word Family of 螺

Words Containing This Character20
螺旋spiral
螺丝luósīscrew螺絲
螺luósnail
陀螺spinning top
螺丝刀screwdriver螺絲刀
螺旋桨propeller螺旋槳
螺栓screw
螺钉screw螺釘
海螺sea snail
螺纹spiral pattern螺紋
螺丝钉screw螺絲釘
钉螺Oncomelania釘螺
螺母nut (female component of nut and bolt)
螺杆screw螺桿
田螺river snail
螺旋体Spirochaetes, phylum of extremophile bacteria螺旋體
螺蛳river snail螺螄
螺旋藻spiral algae
螺帽nut (female component of nut and bolt)
碧螺春biluochun or pi lo chun, a type of green tea grown in the Dongting Mountain region near Lake Tai 太湖[Tài​Hú], Jiangsu
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 螺旋 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 螺

Common phrases include 螺丝 (screw) and 螺旋 (spiral).