How to Write 嫖 (piáo) — Meaning “To visit a prostitute.”

Imagine a woman (女) who works as a prostitute requires a ticket (票) from her customer to allow entry. The ticket represents the money paid for the service. This visual of a woman holding a ticket can help you recall the meaning and pronunciation (piáo, similar to piào).

The left radical 女 should be narrow and take up about one-third of the square. The right side 票 has a top part that looks like 示 (common mistake: writing it as 西) and a bottom part 巾 (towel) – make sure the vertical strokes are straight. Total 14 strokes; pay attention to the order: first write the left radical 女 (three strokes), then the right 票 (11 strokes).

All three share the 女 radical, but the right side differs: 嫖 has 票 (ticket), 婷 has 亭 (pavilion), and 婺 has 務 (service). Visually, 票 contains 示 on top of 巾, while 亭 is a simple structure with a dot on top, and 務 is complex with many strokes. Their meanings are also completely different: 嫖 relates to prostitution, 婷 means graceful, and 婺 is a rare character used in place names.

嫖 appears in legal and social discussions about prostitution, such as in the words 嫖娼 (prostitution) and 嫖客 (john). Because prostitution is illegal in mainland China, this character carries a strongly negative and taboo feeling. It is also used in the four-character idiom 吃喝嫖赌 to describe a decadent lifestyle, and you should avoid using it in polite conversation.

Common words containing 嫖 include: 嫖客 (piáo kè) — A man who visits prostitutes; a john.; 嫖娼 (piáo chāng) — To visit a prostitute.; 吃喝嫖赌 (chī hē piáo dǔ) — to indulge in dissipation (eating, drinking, gambling, etc.).