莎
Character learning workspace

shā / suō · a kind of sedge grass that used to be woven into raincoats

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

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Learn every stroke in 莎

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

Readings & meanings

莎 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

shā

katydid (family Tettigoniidae); phonetic "sha" used in transliteration

莎丽shā lì · sari
suō

used in 莎草[suo1 cao3]

莎草suō cǎo · coco-grass
Step-by-step explorer

See how 莎 is constructed

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

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

10Total strokes

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

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

艹Key radical

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

Print and practise

Download a 莎 writing sheet

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

Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 莎 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ jiějie de míng zì shì pài cuì shā.我姐姐的名字是派翠莎。

My sister's name is Patricia.

Source: Tatoeba #13953746 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ jīn wǎn yào hé lí shā chū qù.我今晚要和麗莎出去。

I'm going out with Lisa tonight.

Source: Tatoeba #861160 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Shā shì bǐ yā shì yí wèi zuò jiā de míng zì.莎士比亞是一位作家的名字。

Shakespeare is the name of a writer.

Source: Tatoeba #797085 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Shā mǐ huǐ le lái lā de rén shēng.莎米毀了萊拉的人生。

Sami destroyed Layla's life.

Source: Tatoeba #13523592 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ yǒu shā shì bǐ yā de zuò pǐn quán jí.我有莎士比亞的作品全集。

I have the complete works of Shakespeare.

Source: Tatoeba #1542004 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Guó wáng sǐ hòu, ài shā chéngwéi le nǚ wáng.国王死后,艾莎成为了女王。

After the king's death Elsa became queen.

Source: Tatoeba #8860600 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 莎 in context

  1. Say shā / suō, then recall the core meaning: a kind of sedge grass that used to be woven into raincoats.
  2. Write all 10 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 莎草 (suō cǎo), meaning “coco-grass”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 莎 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.