How to Write 曹 (cáo) — Meaning “Cao (a surname)”

Imagine the famous historical figure Cao Cao (曹操) standing between two suns: a top sun (曰) and a bottom sun (日), with a horizontal line as his belt. This mental image helps you recall that 曹 is a surname and that it has two sun-like shapes stacked vertically.

Write the top 曰 first (three strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal), then the middle horizontal stroke, and finally the bottom 日 (four strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, bottom horizontal). A common mistake is making the middle horizontal too long or forgetting it entirely; keep it the same width as the parts above and below.

曹 has two square sun-like shapes (曰 and 日) with a horizontal line between them. 曷 (hé) has a top 曰 but a bottom part that looks like a person with a bent stroke (匃). 曼 (màn) has a top 曰, then a hand radical (又), and finally an eye (目) — it has three distinct sections, not two.

曹 is almost always used as a surname, such as in the name of the famous Three Kingdoms warlord Cao Cao (曹操). You may also see it in historical terms like 曹营 (Cao's camp) or in simple statements like 我姓曹 (My surname is Cao). It has no common everyday meaning beyond surnames and historical references.

Common words containing 曹 include: 曹操 (cáo cāo) — Cao Cao (historical figure); 姓曹 (xìng cáo) — Surname Cao; 曹营 (cáo yíng) — Cao's camp.