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痧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
痧shācholera; colicvn, 12 strokes, radical 疒, rank #74916, Very Hard
shā(sha1) T1
  1. 1cholera; colic
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

痧shā(sha1)

The character 痧 (shā) refers to a type of disease or ailment, particularly cholera or colic. It is used in medical contexts to describe specific gastrointestinal issues, often associated with intense abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Strokes12Radical疒Frequency#74916DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Cholera has historical significance in China, especially during outbreaks that have shaped public health responses and awareness in the region. The term 痧 is a reminder of these health challenges.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sick person with a 'shah' (shā) on their face, indicating they are suffering from cholera, which often leads to dehydration. The character 痧 has the radical 疒 (sickness) that hints at its meaning related to health problems.

Meanings of 痧

shā(sha1)
1cholera; colic
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 痧

痧Simplified
12Strokes
疒Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 痧

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Podcast: 痧

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AI Study Notes for 痧

Usage Notes

This term is primarily used in formal medical contexts, so it may not be commonly encountered in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tones, as mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with unrelated terms. Common collocations include 痧病 (shā bìng), meaning 'cholera disease'.

HSK Study Tips

Since 痧 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, students should focus on understanding its medical implications and how it connects to other health-related terms they may encounter at higher levels of study.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 痧 with similar sounding words or characters. For instance, using 痧 in place of 伤 (shāng), which means 'injury', can create misunderstandings. Always ensure you are using the correct character based on the context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 痧

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Etymology of 痧

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)沙
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 痧

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half沙 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 痧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 痧?

Decomposition of 痧

IDS Structure⿸疒沙
痧Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
沙Sha1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 痧?

How to say cholera; colic in Chinese

“cholera; colic” in Chinese is痧shā

The character 痧 (shā) refers to a type of disease or ailment, particularly cholera or colic. It is used in medical contexts to describe specific gastrointestinal issues, often associated with intense abdominal pain and diarrhea.

When to use 痧

This term is primarily used in formal medical contexts, so it may not be commonly encountered in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tones, as mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with unrelated terms. Common collocations include 痧病 (shā bìng), meaning 'cholera disease'.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 痧 with similar sounding words or characters. For instance, using 痧 in place of 伤 (shāng), which means 'injury', can create misunderstandings. Always ensure you are using the correct character based on the context.

Write 痧

痧

Practice writing 痧 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 痧

Words Containing This Character2
刮痧gua sha (technique in TCM)
痧shācholera
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 刮痧 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 痧

No, 痧 is primarily used in medical contexts and is not a term you would hear in daily conversation.

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