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销 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
销xiāoto melt (metal)HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāoto cancel or annulHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāoto sellHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāoto spendHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāoto fasten with a boltHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāobolt or pinHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
销xiāoto fuse, to melt; to market, to sellHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 钅, rank #17471, Hard
xiāo(xiao1) T1
  1. 1to melt (metal)
  2. 2to cancel or annul
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
销(銷)xiāo(xiao1)

The character 销 (xiāo) primarily means to melt, especially in the context of metals. It can also refer to canceling or annulling something, selling goods, or spending money. The versatility of this word allows it to appear in various contexts, such as finance and manufacturing.

Strokes12Radical钅Frequency#17471DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'selling' (销售) is deeply intertwined with markets and trade, reflecting the historical importance of commerce in local communities. The melting of metal also symbolizes transformation and renewal in various crafts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a blacksmith (the radical 钅 represents metal) melting down metal to reshape it, while a sales clerk (the pronunciation 'xiāo' sounds like 'sell') sells the final product. Picture the blacksmith shouting 'sell!' as he finishes melting metal into a new form.

Meanings of 销

xiāo(xiao1)
1to melt (metal)
2to cancel or annul
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 销

销Simplified
銷Traditional
12Strokes
钅Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#17471Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedBCT✓CEFRC2

Podcast: 销

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Podcast: 销

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AI Study Notes for 销

Quick Contrast

销 (xiāo) vs 退 (tuì) — use 销 when referring to selling goods or canceling, while 退 is used specifically for returning items.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a blacksmith (the radical 钅 represents metal) melting down metal to reshape it, while a sales clerk (the pronunciation 'xiāo' sounds like 'sell') sells the final product. Picture the blacksmith shouting 'sell!' as he finishes melting metal into a new form.

Usage Notes

When using 销, be mindful of its context; it may imply different actions such as selling or canceling. Common collocations include 销售 (xiāoshòu, to sell) and 销毁 (xiāohuǐ, to destroy). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that have distinct meanings.

HSK Study Tips

While 销 is not an HSK word, it connects with HSK vocabulary related to commerce and finance. Students should focus on its various meanings and practice using it in sentences about buying and selling.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'selling' (销售) is deeply intertwined with markets and trade, reflecting the historical importance of commerce in local communities. The melting of metal also symbolizes transformation and renewal in various crafts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 销 with 休 (xiū, to rest) due to similar pronunciation. For example, saying '我想休这个产品' instead of '我想销这个产品' (I want to sell this product) is incorrect. Always use 销 when referring to selling or canceling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 销

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Etymology of 销

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

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 肖 represents the sound. Simplified form of 銷.

Memory Hint

metal

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 销?

Decomposition of 销

IDS Structure⿰钅肖
销Full Character
=
钅jin1
left
肖Xiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 销?

Write 销

销

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 销

销 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 7 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

医生们抱怨他们疲于应付医药公司的____售人员。

Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen.

Common Confusions with 销

销vs消
xiāo

Same pronunciation but different meanings

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to melt (metal)"?

or

Example Sentences for 销 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
医生们抱怨他们疲于应付医药公司的销售人员。

yī shēng mén bào yuàn tā mén pí yú yīng fù yī yào gōng sī de xiāo shòu rén yuán。

Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen.
2
伯爵茶、大吉岭茶和茉莉花茶是最畅销的几种传统茶叶。

bó jué chá、 、 dà jí lǐng chá hé mò lì huā chá shì zuì chàng xiāo de jī zhǒng chuán tǒng chá。

Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Jasmine are best-selling traditional teas.
3
他的继承人把这幅画卖给了伦敦艺术品经销商阿格纽斯。

tā de jì chéng rén bǎ zhè fú huà mài gěi le lún dūn yì shù pǐn jīng xiāo shāng ā gé niǔ sī。

His heir sold the painting to the London art dealer Agnews.
4
这周超市的新鲜鲑鱼特价销售。

zhè zhōu chāo shì de xīn xiān guī yú tè jià xiāo shòu。

Fresh salmon is a bargain at the supermarket this week.
5
某厂家由于疏忽，制造并销售了一款刹车系统存在缺陷的汽车。

mǒu chǎng jiā yóu yú shū hū， ， zhì zào bìng xiāo shòu le yī kuǎn chà chē xì tǒng cún zài quē xiàn de qì。

A manufacturer negligently made and marketed a car with defective brakes.
6
这场演出的门票也是几乎在开演前就销售一空了。

zhè cháng yǎn chū de mén piào yě shì jī hū zài kāi yǎn qián jiù xiāo shòu yī kōng le。

This show, too, was virtually sold out before it opened.
7
他手下有6名销售人员为他工作。

tā shǒu xià yǒu6 6 míng xiāo shòu rén yuán wéi tā gōng。

He had a staff of six salespeople working for him.
8
传闻有证据表明欧洲的销售量已经下滑。

chuán wén yǒu zhèng jù biǎo míng ōu zhōu de xiāo shòu liáng yǐ jīng xià huá。

Anecdotal evidence suggests that sales in Europe have slipped.
9
所有地方议会有将近一半的开销将受到限制。

suǒ yǒu dì fāng yì huì yǒu jiāng jìn yī bàn de kāi xiāo jiāng shòu dào xiàn zhì。

Nearly half of all local councils face being capped.
10
相比之下，私营部门就有很多钱可供开销。

xiāng bǐ zhī xià， ， sī yíng bù mén jiù yǒu hěn duō qián kě gōng kāi。

The private sector, by contrast, has plenty of money to spend.

Cultural Notes for 销

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'selling' (销售) is deeply intertwined with markets and trade, reflecting the historical importance of commerce in local communities. The melting of metal also symbolizes transformation and renewal in various crafts.

Word Family of 销

Words Containing This Character20
销售xiāoshòuto sell銷售
撤销chèxiāoto repeal撤銷
推销tuīxiāoto market推銷
营销marketing營銷
销量xiāoliàngsales volume銷量
销毁xiāohuǐto obliterate銷毀
促销cùxiāoto promote sales促銷
经销商dealer經銷商
推销员salesperson推銷員
销xiāoto sell銷
畅销chàngxiāoto sell well暢銷
热销to sell well熱銷
销售额sales figure銷售額
开销kāixiāoexpenses開銷
吊销diàoxiāoto revoke吊銷
报销bàoxiāoto write off報銷
畅销书best-seller暢銷書
销魂ecstasy銷魂
注销to cancel註銷
倾销qīngxiāoto dump (goods, products)傾銷
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 销售 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 销

While both 销 (xiāo) and 卖 (mài) can mean 'to sell,' 销 often implies a more specific context, such as selling off inventory or goods in bulk, whereas 卖 is a more general term for selling. Each term can be used in different contexts, so it's important to understand their nuances.