How to Write 飕 (sōu) — Meaning “Whistling or soughing of wind”

Imagine an old man (叟) standing in a strong wind (风), and the wind blows so hard that it makes a "sou sou" whistling sound. The image of the old man with wind whistling past his ears will help you recall both the shape and the meaning.

Write the left radical 风 first, with its special stroke 横斜钩 (horizontal then slanted hook) — do not confuse it with the similar 几. The right part 叟 is taller and has 9 strokes, including a 横折 (horizontal turn) and a final 捺 (right-falling stroke). Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider to maintain balance.

飕 (sōu) means a whistling wind, while 飓 (jù) means a hurricane, with the component 具 (tool, container) suggesting something huge. 飖 (yáo) means floating or drifting in the wind, with the component 䍃 (related to pottery). Visually, 飕 uses 叟 (old man), 飓 uses 具, and 飖 uses 䍃 — look at the right part to tell them apart.

飕 is almost never used alone; it appears in repeated forms like 飕飕 (sōu sōu) to describe the whistling sound of wind, or in words like 凉飕飕 (liáng sōu sōu) meaning chilly and windy. You can use these expressions to describe a cold, breezy day or the sound of wind passing by.

Common words containing 飕 include: 凉飕飕 (liáng sōu sōu) — chilly; cold wind blowing; 飕飕 (sōu sōu) — Whistling; chilly wind; 冷飕飕 (lěng sōu sōu) — chilly; cold and windy.