How to Write 唰 (shuā) — Meaning “Swish / Whoosh”

Imagine someone brushing their teeth and hearing a fast 'shuā shuā' swish sound — the 口 (mouth) on the left reminds you it's a sound, and the right part 刷 looks like a brush. Picture a brush moving quickly next to a mouth to recall both the meaning and the pronunciation.

Write the left radical 口 (3 strokes) first, then the right part 刷 (8 strokes). The right part begins with a horizontal stroke, then a vertical stroke and a horizontal fold hook (the top of 刷), followed by the lower 巾 component. A common mistake is making the left 口 too large or misaligning the two halves; keep the 口 small and centered vertically.

唰 (shuā) means a swishing or whooshing sound, while 呲 (cī) imitates a hissing or tearing sound, and 咠 (qì) means to whisper or a quiet sound. Visually, 唰 contains the component 刷, 呲 has 此, and 咠 has 口 over 耳 — so the right-side radicals are completely different.

Common words containing 唰 include: 唰地 (shuā dì) — With a swish / Suddenly; 唰唰 (shuā shuā) — Swishing sound; 唰白 (shuā bái) — Turning pale / Pure white.