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How to Write 躁 (zào) — Meaning “impatient; restless”

zào HSK Level 7 20 strokes Radical: 足

躁 (zào) means "impatient; restless" in Chinese. It has 20 strokes with the radical 足, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 92% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 急躁 (jí zào), 烦躁 (fán zào), 躁动 (zào dòng).

Due to its 20 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 躁 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 躁 - zào

Practice Writing 躁 (zào)

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How to Write 躁

The character 躁 (zào) is written with 20 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 足 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zào (躁) Mean in Chinese?

躁 means impatient; restless.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 躁 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character躁
Pinyinzào (zao)
Meaningimpatient; restless
Strokes20
Radical足
HSK Level7
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 躁

躁 combines the radical 足 (foot) with the phonetic component 喿 (zào, meaning 'chirping' or 'noisy'). It evokes the image of restless feet making a constant, irritating noise—like pacing or tapping—reflecting impatience and agitation.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture impatient feet (足) stomping noisily (喿) on the ground because they can't stand waiting another second.

Common Words with 躁

急躁 jí zào
impatient; irritable
烦躁 fán zào
Fidgety or agitated
躁动 zào dòng
restless; agitated

Example Sentences

他的性格比较急躁。

tā de xìng gé bǐ jiào jí zào

He has a rather impatient personality.

天气太热，让人感到烦躁。

tiān qì tài rè ràng rén gǎn dào fán zào

The weather is so hot that it makes people feel irritable.

春天到了，万物开始躁动。

chūn tiān dào le wàn wù kāi shǐ zào dòng

Spring has arrived, and everything is starting to stir.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
躁 (current) zào 20 足
蹙 cù 18 足
蹚 tāng 18 足
蹡 qiāng 18 足
Stroke order practice for 躁 - zào

Practice Writing 躁 (zào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 躁 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 躁

The left side is the radical 足 (foot), which hints at movement or action. The right side is 喿 (zào), which originally suggested noise or agitation. Together, they create the idea of restless or impatient movement, like someone pacing nervously.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 足

䠀tāng足zú趴pā趵bào趸dǔn趺fū趼jiǎn趾zhǐ趿tā跂qí

Other 20-Stroke Characters

䕭qián嚷rāng/rǎng嚼jiáo/jiào/jué壤rǎng孀shuāng巍wēi彟yuē攘rǎng曦xī瀵fèn