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How to Write 漂 (piāo/piǎo/piào) — Meaning “To float”

piāo/piǎo/piào HSK Level 2 14 strokes Radical: 氵

漂 (piāo/piǎo/piào) means "To float" in Chinese. It has 14 strokes with the radical 氵, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 82% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 5+ common words including 漂浮 (piāo fú), 漂流 (piāo liú), 漂白 (piǎo bái).

Due to its 14 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 漂 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 漂 - piāo/piǎo/piào

Practice Writing 漂 (piāo/piǎo/piào)

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How to Write 漂

The character 漂 (piāo/piǎo/piào) is written with 14 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 氵 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does piāo/piǎo/piào (漂) Mean in Chinese?

漂 means To float.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: piāo, piǎo, piào.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 漂 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character漂
Pinyinpiāo / piǎo / piào (piao)
MeaningTo float
Strokes14
Radical氵
HSK Level2
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 漂

漂 combines the water radical (氵) with 票 (piào), which originally depicted a bird flying. Together they suggest something floating or drifting on water like a bird gliding.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a ticket (票) floating on water (氵), drifting away like a paper boat.

Common Words with 漂

漂浮 piāo fú
To float
漂流 piāo liú
To drift / Rafting
漂白 piǎo bái
To bleach
漂染 piǎo rǎn
Bleaching and dyeing
漂亮 piào liàng
Beautiful

Example Sentences

几片枯叶安静地漂浮在清澈的湖面上。

jǐ piàn kū yè ān jìng dì piāo fú zài qīng chè de hú miàn shàng

A few withered leaves float quietly on the clear surface of the lake.

暑假里，我们去深山里的溪流参加了漂流。

shǔ jià lǐ wǒ men qù shēn shān lǐ de xī liú cān jiā le piāo liú

During the summer vacation, we went rafting in a stream deep in the mountains.

这种洗涤剂具有极强的漂白功能。

zhè zhǒng xǐ dí jì jù yǒu jí qiáng de piǎo bái gōng néng

This detergent has a very strong bleaching function.

经过漂染后的布料色彩非常稳固，不易掉色。

jīng guò piǎo rǎn hòu de bù liào sè cǎi fēi cháng wěn gù bù yì diào sè

The color of the fabric after dyeing is very stable and does not fade easily.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
漂 (current) piāo / piǎo / piào 14 氵
渝 yú 12 氵
渡 dù 12 氵
渣 zhā 12 氵
Stroke order practice for 漂 - piāo/piǎo/piào

Practice Writing 漂 (piāo/piǎo/piào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 漂 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 漂

漂 is made of the water radical 氵 on the left and 票 (piào, meaning ticket or note) on the right. Water + ticket suggests something light like a ticket floating on water, which matches the character's meaning 'to float'.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

啊a/ā/á/ǎ/à情qíng安ān静jìng全quán色sè/shǎi长cháng/zhǎng办bàn法fǎ公gōng室shì夜yè助zhù饱bǎo报bào纸zhǐ背bēi/bèi如rú笔bǐ必bì

Characters with Radical 氵

㳄xián氿guǐ汀tīng汁zhī汇huì汉hàn汊chà汐xī汒máng汔qì

Other 14-Stroke Characters

㕡hé僖xī僚liáo僦jiù僧sēng僬jiāo僭jiàn僮tóng僳sù儆jǐng