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March 24, 2026
飘(飃)piāo(piao1)
The character 飘 (piāo) means 'to float' or 'to drift.' It describes something that moves lightly and freely in the air, such as leaves fluttering in the wind or clouds drifting across the sky. This term is often used in poetic or descriptive contexts to convey a sense of grace and lightness.
Strokes15Radical风Frequency#5809DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the imagery of things drifting or floating is often associated with a sense of freedom and beauty, as seen in poetry and art. For example, the sight of cherry blossoms (樱花) drifting in the breeze symbolizes the transient nature of beauty and life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a feather (飘) floating gently through the air. The character has the radical for 'food' (食) at the top, suggesting something light and airy, while the bottom part resembles something drifting. Picture a feather from a bird's meal gliding effortlessly, and you’ll remember both its form and meaning.
Meanings of 飘
piāo(piao1)
1to float
2to drift, to float, to flutter
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 飘
飘Simplified
飃Traditional
15Strokes
风Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#5809Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 飘
Podcast: 飘
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AI Study Notes for 飘
Quick Contrast
漂 (piāo) vs 飘 (piāo): use 漂 when referring to the action of floating in water, while 飘 specifically describes movement in the air.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone, as 'piāo' (飘) and 'piǎo' (票) can easily be confused. This word is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in literature or conversation about nature. Common collocations include 飘起来 (to start to float) and 飘动 (to flutter).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 飘 connects to other verbs describing movement and action, such as 跑 (pǎo - to run) and 飞 (fēi - to fly). Students should focus on the nuances of movement associated with this character, practicing its use in various contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 飘 (piāo) with the similar sounding 票 (piào - ticket). Remember that 飘 is related to movement in the air, while 票 refers to tickets or vouchers. For example, saying '我买了飘' is incorrect; it should be '我买了票'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 飘
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Phonosemantic compound. 风 represents the meaning and 票 represents the sound. Simplified form of 飄.
1The meaning half风 carries the sense.
2The sound half票 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaywind
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 飘? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 飘?
Decomposition of 飘
IDS Structure⿰票风
飘Full Character
=
票piao4
left
风feng1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 飘?
How to say to float in Chinese
“to float” in Chinese is飘piāo
The character 飘 (piāo) means 'to float' or 'to drift.' It describes something that moves lightly and freely in the air, such as leaves fluttering in the wind or clouds drifting across the sky. This term is often used in poetic or descriptive contexts to convey a sense of grace and lightness.
When to use 飘
Be cautious with the tone, as 'piāo' (飘) and 'piǎo' (票) can easily be confused. This word is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in literature or conversation about nature. Common collocations include 飘起来 (to start to float) and 飘动 (to flutter).
飘 or something close to it
漂 (piāo) vs 飘 (piāo): use 漂 when referring to the action of floating in water, while 飘 specifically describes movement in the air.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 飘 (piāo) with the similar sounding 票 (piào - ticket). Remember that 飘 is related to movement in the air, while 票 refers to tickets or vouchers. For example, saying '我买了飘' is incorrect; it should be '我买了票'.
Write 飘
飘
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Grammar Patterns of 飘
飘 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 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.
