How to Write 芍 (sháo) — Meaning “Peony”

Imagine a peony flower growing out of a spoon (勺) in the grass (艹). The spoon shape below the grass helps you recall the sound 'sháo,' and the grass reminds you it is a plant.

Write the top radical 艹 first as two horizontal strokes, then the vertical stroke down through them. Below, write 勺 carefully: the left stroke (丿) curves, then a horizontal hook (𠃌), and finally a dot inside the hook. Common mistakes include making the grass too wide or forgetting the dot inside the spoon.

艺 (yì) means 'art' or 'skill' and has a 乙 component under the grass, while 艻 (lè) is a rare character for a type of grass and has 力 (power) under the 艹. 芍 is specifically the peony, with 勺 (spoon) as the lower part, so focus on the spoon shape to tell them apart.

芍 is almost always used in the word 芍药 (sháo yào), which refers to the herbaceous peony, a popular ornamental flower in China. It appears in poetry, gardening contexts, and traditional medicine; the peony is a symbol of prosperity and beauty, often seen in art and festivals.

Common words containing 芍 include: 芍药 (sháo yào) — Herbaceous peony; 芍药花 (sháo yào huā) — Peony flower; 红芍 (hóng sháo) — Red peony.