How to Write 潇 (xiāo) — Meaning “Deep and clear / sound of rain and wind”

Picture a storm with heavy rain and wind (萧) creating deep, clear pools of water (氵). This visual of water in a bleak scene helps you recall both the meaning and the pronunciation xiāo.

Start with the three dots of the water radical (氵), then write the right side 萧: first the grass radical (艹), then 肃. Pay special attention to the bottom part of 肃, which has a vertical hook and several strokes; a common mistake is mixing up the stroke order inside 肃.

渝 (yú) has the water radical but the right side is 俞, meaning 'to change' or referring to Chongqing; 渡 (dù) has water on the left and 度 on the right, meaning 'to cross a river'. Unlike 潇, which describes water's clarity or sound, 渝 and 渡 have very different functions and are not related to nature or elegance.

The most common use is in the word 潇洒 (xiāosǎ), which describes a person who is natural, elegant, and carefree. It also appears in the poetic term 潇潇 for the whistling and pattering of wind and rain, and in the place name 潇湘 (Xiāoxiāng), a scenic region in Hunan.

Common words containing 潇 include: 潇洒 (xiāo sǎ) — Natural and unrestrained / elegant / chic; 潇潇 (xiāo xiāo) — (Of wind and rain) whistling and pattering; 潇湘 (xiāo xiāng) — Xiaoxiang (a region in Hunan).