How to Write 飒 (sà) — Meaning “Sound of wind; soughing”

Imagine the wind (风) blowing so strongly that it makes a tree stand (立) up straight, creating a rustling sound. This connects the meaning 'sound of wind' with the visual of a standing tree.

Write the left radical 风 first with its hook curving smoothly, then add the right part 立. Common mistakes include making the hook too sharp or placing 立 too far right, which makes the character look unbalanced.

飒 has 立 (stand) on the right, while 飐 has 占 (occupy) and 飑 has 包 (wrap). Semantically, 飒 means a gentle rustling sound, 飐 means to be shaken by wind, and 飑 means a sudden violent squall.

飒 is common in words like 飒飒 (rustling sound of wind) and 飒爽 (valiant and spirited, e.g., 英姿飒爽). It appears in literature and formal descriptions of heroic or graceful bearing, but is less frequent in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 飒 include: 飒飒 (sà sà) — Rustling; soughing sound of wind; 飒爽 (sà shuǎng) — Valiant; spirited; dashing; 飒然 (sà rán) — Suddenly; with a soughing sound.