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寮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
寮liáoshanty, hut, shackzg, 15 strokes, radical 宀, rank #50072, Very Hard
寮liáoLaosunknown, 15 strokes, radical 宀, rank #50072, Very Hard
寮liáosmall windowunknown, 15 strokes, radical 宀, rank #50072, Very Hard
liáo(Liao2) T2
  1. 1shanty, hut, shack
  2. 2Laos
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

寮liáo(Liao2)

The character 寮 (liáo) primarily refers to a simple dwelling such as a shanty, hut, or shack. It can also denote a variant of the character 僚, which has meanings related to companionship or assistance. Commonly used in contexts discussing informal living conditions or small accommodations.

Strokes15Radical宀Frequency#50072DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In rural China, the term 寮 can refer to basic housing structures for workers or farmers, reflecting the simplicity and practicality of rural life. This character embodies the concept of modest living, which is significant in discussions about economic disparities.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny hut (寮) nestled in the wilderness, with a small window letting in the breeze. The character's roof (宀) represents shelter, while the bottom (料) suggests something being stored or contained inside, reminiscent of the humble nature of a shack.

Meanings of 寮

liáo(Liao2)
1shanty, hut, shack
2Laos
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 寮

寮Simplified
15Strokes
宀Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 寮

JasonAmy

Podcast: 寮

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AI Study Notes for 寮

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 寮 with similar characters like 料 (liào) or 僚 (liáo) due to their phonetic similarities. This word is informal and typically used in casual conversations or descriptive contexts. Pay attention to the context to avoid mixing it up with more formal terms for housing.

HSK Study Tips

While 寮 is not included in the HSK curriculum, understanding its use can enhance vocabulary related to housing and living conditions. Students at HSK 2 or 3 may find it helpful to connect this word with others about homes (家, 房) or living situations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 寮 with 料 (liào), mistakenly using it in contexts related to materials or ingredients. For example, saying '我需要寮来做饭' (I need a hut to cook) instead of '我需要料来做饭' (I need ingredients to cook).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 寮

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Etymology of 寮

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

roof

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 寮

  1. 1The meaning half宀 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half尞 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayroof
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 寮? 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 寮?

Decomposition of 寮

IDS Structure⿱宀尞
寮Full Character
=
宀gai4
top
尞liao4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 寮?

How to say shanty, hut, shack in Chinese

“shanty, hut, shack” in Chinese is寮liáo

The character 寮 (liáo) primarily refers to a simple dwelling such as a shanty, hut, or shack. It can also denote a variant of the character 僚, which has meanings related to companionship or assistance. Commonly used in contexts discussing informal living conditions or small accommodations.

When to use 寮

Learners often confuse 寮 with similar characters like 料 (liào) or 僚 (liáo) due to their phonetic similarities. This word is informal and typically used in casual conversations or descriptive contexts. Pay attention to the context to avoid mixing it up with more formal terms for housing.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 寮 with 料 (liào), mistakenly using it in contexts related to materials or ingredients. For example, saying '我需要寮来做饭' (I need a hut to cook) instead of '我需要料来做饭' (I need ingredients to cook).

Write 寮

寮

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

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Word Family of 寮

Words Containing This Character6
寮liáohut
寮国Laos (Tw)寮國
大寮乡Taliao township in Kaohsiung county 高雄縣|高雄县[Gāo​xióng​xiàn], southwest Taiwan大寮鄉
枋寮乡Fangliao township in Pingtung County 屏東縣|屏东县[Píng​dōng​Xiàn], Taiwan枋寮鄉
田寮乡Tianliao or Tienliao township in Kaohsiung county 高雄縣|高雄县[Gāo​xióng​xiàn], southwest Taiwan田寮鄉
贡寮乡Gongliao or Kungliao township in New Taipei City 新北市[Xīn​běi​shì], Taiwan貢寮鄉
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 寮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 寮

寮 refers to a type of simple dwelling, while 僚 relates more to companionship or assistance.

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