漂
Character learning workspace

piāo / piǎo / piào · to drift, to float

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 6Frequency #9779
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Learn every stroke in 漂

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

漂 has 3 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

piāo

to float; to drift

漂泊piāo bó ·
piǎo

to bleach

漂白piǎo bái · to bleach
piào

used in 漂亮[piao4 liang5]

漂亮piào liang · pretty
Step-by-step explorer

See how 漂 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

14Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

氵Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 漂 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 漂

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

piàoused in 漂亮[piao4 liang5]
piāoto float; to drift
piǎoto bleach
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 漂 sits in each complete thought.

Nǐ shì wǒ jiàn guò de zuì piàoliang de nǚ hái.你是我见过的最漂亮的女孩。

You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

Source: Tatoeba #4764663 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ zhēn shì yuè lái yuè piàoliang le.你真是越来越漂亮了。

You're really getting prettier and prettier.

Source: Tatoeba #3060515 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Jí shǐ yǒu bǐ nǐ piàoliang de, yě bú huì tài duō.即使有比你漂亮的,也不会太多。

If there even are people more beautiful than you, there won't be many of them.

Source: Tatoeba #759697 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Shì ya, zhège hěn piàoliang. duō shǎo qián?是呀,这个很漂亮。多少钱?

Yes, this one is very nice. How much does it cost?

Source: Tatoeba #792827 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yǒu yì xiē piàoliang de huā zài huā píng.有一些漂亮的花在花瓶。

There are some beautiful roses in the vase.

Source: Tatoeba #3011091 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ yǒu zhe piàoliang de tuǐ.你有着漂亮的腿。

You have beautiful legs.

Source: Tatoeba #4844809 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 漂 in context

  1. Say piāo / piǎo / piào, then recall the core meaning: to drift, to float.
  2. Write all 14 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 漂亮 (piào liang), meaning “pretty”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 漂 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.