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凋 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
凋diāowithered, fallen; exhaustedzg, 10 strokes, radical 冫, rank #51421, Very Hard
diāo(diao1) T1
  1. 1withered, fallen; exhausted
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March 24, 2026

凋diāo(diao1)

The character 凋 (diāo) means to wither or fall, often used to describe plants losing their vitality or flowers wilting. It can also metaphorically refer to a decline in energy or spirit, reflecting exhaustion or deterioration in various contexts.

Strokes10Radical冫Frequency#51421DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, nature is often seen as a reflection of human emotions, making the concept of withering deeply connected to themes of loss and nostalgia in poetry and art. The changing seasons, especially autumn, evoke feelings of 凋, as leaves fall and life cycles change.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful flower (the character's shape) that starts to droop and wilt, symbolizing its decline. The '二' part at the bottom resembles two leaves falling, emphasizing the idea of something that once thrived now withering away.

Meanings of 凋

diāo(diao1)
1withered, fallen; exhausted
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 凋 means.

About 凋

凋Simplified
10Strokes
冫Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 凋

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Podcast: 凋

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AI Study Notes for 凋

Quick Contrast

凋 (diāo) vs 衰 (shuāi) — use 凋 when specifically referring to plants or flowers withering, while 衰 indicates a more general decline or weakening.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 凋 (diāo) with similar-sounding words like 刁 (diāo), which has a different meaning. This term is more formal and typically used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation, so it's best to use it in writing or formal speeches.

HSK Study Tips

Although 凋 is not part of HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other HSK Level 4 words related to nature and emotions, like 花 (huā - flower) and 心情 (xīnqíng - mood). Focus on understanding it in sentences that describe changes in nature or feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 凋 (diāo) with similar characters like 繞 (rào), which means to go around. Always remember that 凋 specifically refers to withering or falling, especially in the context of plants.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 凋

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Etymology of 凋

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

Phonosemantic compound. 冫 represents the meaning and 周 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

ice

Semantic (meaning)冫
+
Phonetic (sound)周
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

凋 = 冫 + 周. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 凋

IDS Structure⿰冫周
凋Full Character
=
冫bing1
left
周Zhou1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 凋?

How to say withered, fallen; exhausted in Chinese

“withered, fallen; exhausted” in Chinese is凋diāo

The character 凋 (diāo) means to wither or fall, often used to describe plants losing their vitality or flowers wilting. It can also metaphorically refer to a decline in energy or spirit, reflecting exhaustion or deterioration in various contexts.

When to use 凋

Be cautious not to confuse 凋 (diāo) with similar-sounding words like 刁 (diāo), which has a different meaning. This term is more formal and typically used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversation, so it's best to use it in writing or formal speeches.

凋 or something close to it

凋 (diāo) vs 衰 (shuāi) — use 凋 when specifically referring to plants or flowers withering, while 衰 indicates a more general decline or weakening.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 凋 (diāo) with similar characters like 繞 (rào), which means to go around. Always remember that 凋 specifically refers to withering or falling, especially in the context of plants.

Write 凋

凋

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

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Grammar Patterns of 凋

凋 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

泛白____零的玫瑰从蓝色的花瓶里耷拉下来。

Pale wilting roses drooped from a blue vase.

Example Sentences for 凋 (4)

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1
泛白凋零的玫瑰从蓝色的花瓶里耷拉下来。

fàn bái diāo líng de méi guī cóng lán sè de huā píng lǐ dā lā xià lái。

Pale wilting roses drooped from a blue vase.
2
苍松翠柏,常绿不凋.

cāng sōng cuì bǎi, , cháng lǜ bù.

The pine and the cypress remain green all the year round.
3
花折下不久就会凋谢.

huā zhē xià bù jiǔ jiù huì diāo xiè.

Flowers soon fade when cut.
4
目的 探讨二烯丙基三硫(diallydisulfide,DATS)诱导人胃癌MGC - 803细胞凋亡及作用机制.

mù de   tàn tǎo èr xī bǐng jī sān(diallydisulfide,DATS) liú (diallydisulfide,DATS) yòu dǎo rénMGC-803 wèi ái MGC - 803 xì bāo diāo wáng jí zuò.

Objective To investigate DATS inducing MGC - 803 cell apoptosis and its possible mechanism.

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Word Family of 凋

Words Containing This Character6
凋diāowithered
凋谢to wither凋謝
凋零withered
凋落to wilt
凋敝impoverished
民生凋敝the people's livelihood is reduced to destitution (idiom); a time of famine and impoverishment
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 凋

What does 凋谢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 凋

You can say '花凋了' (huā diāo le) to mean 'the flower has withered.'

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