How to Write 超 (chāo) — Meaning “to exceed; to surpass; super-”

Imagine a person running (走) so fast that they call out (召) 'I am super!' as they surpass everyone else. You can also think of 超 sounding like 'chow' and picture eating super-fast to exceed your friends.

Write the 走 part first with its 7 strokes, making sure the bottom 捺 stretches to the right. Then add 召 on the right, keeping it compact so the whole character is balanced. A common mistake is making the 走 part too wide, which crowds the 召 part.

超 means 'to exceed' or 'surpass', while 赶 means 'to catch up' or 'hurry', and 起 means 'to rise' or 'start'. Visually, 超 has 召 on the right, 赶 has 干, and 起 has 己. For example, '超过' is about going above a limit, but '赶上' is about reaching the same level.

超 is very common in words like 超市 (supermarket), 超过 (to exceed), and 超人 (superman or extraordinary person). It is also used as an intensifier in informal speech, such as '超好吃' meaning 'super delicious'. Culturally, 超人 is the name for the comic hero Superman.

Common words containing 超 include: 超市 (chāo shì) — supermarket; 超过 (chāo guò) — To exceed; to surpass.; 超人 (chāo rén) — Superman; extraordinary person.