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骚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
骚sāotroubleHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāodisturbanceHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāorumpusHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāoflirtyHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāocoquettishHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāoliterary writingsHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāosmell of urineHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāofoul smellHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāomale (animal) (dialect)HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāoto annoy, to bother; to disturb, to harrassHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāoabbr. for 離騷HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
骚sāoabbr. for 離騷|离骚[Li2 Sao1]HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 马, rank #6851, Very Hard
sāo(sao1) T1
  1. 1trouble
  2. 2disturbance
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

骚(騷)sāo(sao1)

The character 骚 (sāo) primarily means to disturb or annoy someone, often implying a sense of trouble or fuss. It can also refer to flirtatious behavior or be used in literary contexts, especially in relation to classical Chinese poetry. Its nuanced meanings can vary greatly depending on context, from light-hearted teasing to more serious disturbances.

Strokes12Radical马Frequency#6851DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The term 骚 is often used in the context of classical Chinese literature, particularly in reference to works like the '离骚' (Lí Sāo), which is a famous poem by Qu Yuan. This highlights the cultural importance of poetry and flirtation in historical Chinese literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a playful cat (the character's form suggests a creature) that causes chaos in the house, creating a '骚' (sāo) of noise and trouble. This cat is also flirtatious, prancing around in a coquettish manner, embodying the dual meanings of the character.

Meanings of 骚

sāo(sao1)
1trouble
2disturbance
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 骚

骚Simplified
騷Traditional
12Strokes
马Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#6851Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 骚

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Podcast: 骚

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AI Study Notes for 骚

Quick Contrast

骚 (sāo) vs 打扰 (dǎrǎo) — use 骚 for more playful or flirtatious disturbances, while 打扰 is more neutral and direct in implying interruption.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a playful cat (the character's form suggests a creature) that causes chaos in the house, creating a '骚' (sāo) of noise and trouble. This cat is also flirtatious, prancing around in a coquettish manner, embodying the dual meanings of the character.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 骚 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, so it's important to pay attention to context. This word is generally informal and can be considered slang in certain contexts. Common collocations include 骚扰 (sāo rǎo) meaning 'to disturb' and 骚动 (sāo dòng) meaning 'commotion'.

HSK Study Tips

While 骚 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be related to other words that describe actions or behaviors, such as 打扰 (dǎ rǎo, to disturb) or 吵 (chǎo, noisy). Students should practice using it in sentences to better grasp its connotations.

Cultural Note

The term 骚 is often used in the context of classical Chinese literature, particularly in reference to works like the '离骚' (Lí Sāo), which is a famous poem by Qu Yuan. This highlights the cultural importance of poetry and flirtation in historical Chinese literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 骚 with similar characters like 烧 (shāo, to burn) or 骂 (mà, to scold), leading to misunderstandings. For example, saying '我烧扰你' instead of '我骚扰你' is incorrect; the correct phrase means 'I disturb you.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 骚

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Etymology of 骚

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

A flea 蚤 biting a horse 马; 蚤 also provides the pronunciation

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 骚?

Decomposition of 骚

IDS Structure⿰马蚤
骚Full Character
=
马Ma3
left
蚤zao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 骚?

Write 骚

骚

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

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Grammar Patterns of 骚

骚 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 12 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

如果遭到了性____扰，你应该采取行动。

If you're sexually harassed, you ought to do something about it.

Example Sentences for 骚 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
如果遭到了性骚扰，你应该采取行动。

rú guǒ zāo dào le xìng sāo rǎo， ， nǐ yīng gāi cǎi qǔ háng。

If you're sexually harassed, you ought to do something about it.
2
还有其他形式的民众骚乱，最出名的是足球流氓行为。

huán yǒu qí tā xíng shì de mín zhòng sāo luàn， ， zuì chū míng de shì zú qiú liú máng háng。

There are other forms of civil disorder — most notably, football hooliganism.
3
周末右翼分子对外国人的攻击最终演变成了这场骚乱。

zhōu mò yòu yì fēn zǐ duì wài guó rén de gōng jī zuì zhōng yǎn biàn chéng le zhè cháng sāo luàn。

The unrest capped a weekend of right-wing attacks on foreigners.
4
内务大臣正考虑制定一项针对跟踪骚扰的新法律。

nèi wù dà chén zhèng kǎo lǜ zhì dìng yī xiàng zhēn duì gēn zōng sāo rǎo de xīn fǎ lǜ。

The Home Secretary is considering a new law against stalking.
5
这被认为是一种限制妇女发牢骚的方式。

zhè bèi rèn wéi shì yī zhǒng xiàn zhì fù nǚ fā láo sāo de fāng shì。

This was seen as a way of restricting women'sarticulation of grievances.
6
欧内斯特·布朗住在离骚乱发生处几个街区远的地方。

ōu nèi sī tè· · bù lǎng zhù zài lí sāo luàn fā shēng chǔ jī gè jiē qū yuǎn de dì。

Ernest Brown lives about a dozen blocks from where the riots began.
7
这本书关注的是童年时遭受过性骚扰的人。

zhè běn shū guān zhù de shì tóng nián shí zāo shòu guò xìng sāo rǎo de rén。

This book is written with survivors of child sexual abuse in mind.
8
将会裁员160人的消息在该团体中掀起了一阵骚动。

jiāng huì cái yuán160 160 rén de xiāo xī zài gāi tuán tǐ zhōng xiān qǐ le yī zhèn sāo。

News of 160 redundancies had sent tremors through the community.
9
警方说骚乱发生后他们已逮捕了20人。

jǐng fāng shuō sāo luàn fā shēng hòu tā mén yǐ dài bǔ le20 20。

Police say they have arrested twenty people following the disturbances.
10
街道上仍到处可见连续两晚的骚乱留下的残迹。

jiē dào shàng réng dào chǔ kě jiàn lián xù liǎng wǎn de sāo luàn liú xià de cán jì。

The streets are still full of debris from two nights of rioting.

Cultural Notes for 骚

🏮Cultural insight

The term 骚 is often used in the context of classical Chinese literature, particularly in reference to works like the '离骚' (Lí Sāo), which is a famous poem by Qu Yuan. This highlights the cultural importance of poetry and flirtation in historical Chinese literature.

Word Family of 骚

Words Containing This Character18
骚扰sāorǎoto disturb騷擾
骚sāotrouble騷
性骚扰sexual harassment性騷擾
骚乱sāoluànriot騷亂
风骚literary excellence風騷
骚动uproar騷動
发牢骚to whine發牢騷
牢骚láosāodiscontent牢騷
独领风骚most outstanding獨領風騷
拿骚Nassau, capital of The Bahamas拿騷
骚货slut騷貨
离骚Sorrow at Parting, poem by Qu Yuan 屈原 in Songs of Chu 楚辭|楚辞離騷
满腹牢骚discontent滿腹牢騷
骚客literati騷客
骚乱者a rioter騷亂者
骚体poetry in the style of 離騷|离骚[Lí​Sāo]騷體
骚话obscenities騷話
骚闹noisy騷鬧
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 骚扰 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 骚

In a romantic context, 骚 often implies flirtation or coquetry, describing playful and teasing behavior.

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