Hanzi Writer

How to Write 笊 (zhào) — Meaning “Ladle or strainer”

zhào 10 strokes Radical: 竹

笊 (zhào) means "Ladle or strainer" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 竹.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Appears in 3+ common words including 笊篱 (zhào lí), 铁笊 (tiě zhào), 拿笊篱 (ná zhào lí).

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

Stroke order practice for 笊 - zhào

Practice Writing 笊 (zhào)

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How to Write 笊

The character 笊 (zhào) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 竹 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 zhào (笊) Mean in Chinese?

笊 means Ladle or strainer.

Character Data

Character笊
Pinyinzhào (zhao)
MeaningLadle or strainer
Strokes10
Radical竹
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 笊

This character is a compound of the radical 竹 (bamboo, indicating the material) and the component 爪 (claw/hand, suggesting the action of grasping or scooping). Together they depict a bamboo utensil with a handle that is gripped like a claw, used for scooping or straining liquids. The ancient form similarly combined bamboo with a hand symbol to represent this everyday kitchen tool.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a bamboo (竹) claw (爪) reaching into a pot to scoop out dumplings, with holes letting the water drain away — that's your 笊 strainer!

Common Words with 笊

笊篱 zhào lí
Bamboo strainer
铁笊 tiě zhào
iron strainer
拿笊篱 ná zhào lí
to take a strainer

Example Sentences

用笊篱捞面条。

yòng zhào lí lāo miàn tiáo

Use a strainer to scoop out noodles.

厨房里有铁笊。

chú fáng lǐ yǒu tiě zhào

There is an iron strainer in the kitchen.

他去拿笊篱了。

tā qù ná zhào lí le

He went to get the strainer.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
笊 (current) zhào 10 竹
竺 zhú 8 竹
竽 yú 9 竹
竿 gān 9 竹
Stroke order practice for 笊 - zhào

Practice Writing 笊 (zhào)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 笊

The top part 竹 means bamboo, showing that the item is made of bamboo. The bottom part 爪 means claw or hand, which suggests the action of scooping or grabbing. Together, they describe a bamboo tool used for straining or scooping.

Characters with Radical 竹

竹zhú竺zhú竽yú竿gān笃dǔ笄jī笆bā笈jí笋sǔn笏hù

Other 10-Stroke Characters

㢆chán㼌yǔ䍃yóu丵zhuó乘chéng/shèng亳bó俯fǔ俱jù俳pái俸fèng