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鼂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鼂cháoa kind of sea turtle; surnamezg, 18 strokes, radical 黽
鼂cháosurname Chaounknown, 18 strokes, radical 黽
cháo(Chao2) T2
  1. 1a kind of sea turtle; surname
Also a Chinese surname, Chao — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鼂cháo(Chao2)

The character 鼂 (cháo) primarily refers to a kind of sea turtle, which is often associated with strength and endurance in Chinese culture. Additionally, it can serve as a surname, Chao, which is less commonly encountered. In contexts discussing marine life or familial names, this character may appear.

Strokes18Radical黽
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, turtles are often seen as symbols of longevity and protection, reflecting their revered status in folklore and mythology, such as in the story of the tortoise and the hare.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large sea turtle (representing the meaning) swimming in the ocean, its shell resembling the character 鼂. The character has the radical for 'animal' (犭) which hints at its animal nature, while the top part looks like a wave, symbolizing the sea.

Meanings of 鼂

cháo(Chao2)
1a kind of sea turtle; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鼂

鼂Simplified
18Strokes
黽Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鼂

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Podcast: 鼂

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AI Study Notes for 鼂

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more formal or literary. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with similar sounding words and ensure they use it in the correct context, especially when discussing marine animals or surnames.

HSK Study Tips

This character is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but understanding it can be beneficial for expanding your knowledge of Chinese animals. Students should focus on recognizing its components and how they may appear in more complex characters.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鼂 with other similar characters like 鳖 (biē), which also means turtle but is more commonly used. Be careful to use 鼂 specifically when referencing the sea turtle or the surname Chao.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鼂

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Etymology of 鼂

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

toad

Semantic (meaning)黽
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鼂

  1. 1The meaning half黽 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawaytoad
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鼂? 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 鼂?

Decomposition of 鼂

IDS Structure⿱旦黽
鼂Full Character
=
旦dan4
top
黽mian3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鼂?

How to say a kind of sea turtle; surname in Chinese

“a kind of sea turtle; surname” in Chinese is鼂cháo

The character 鼂 (cháo) primarily refers to a kind of sea turtle, which is often associated with strength and endurance in Chinese culture. Additionally, it can serve as a surname, Chao, which is less commonly encountered. In contexts discussing marine life or familial names, this character may appear.

When to use 鼂

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more formal or literary. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with similar sounding words and ensure they use it in the correct context, especially when discussing marine animals or surnames.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鼂 with other similar characters like 鳖 (biē), which also means turtle but is more commonly used. Be careful to use 鼂 specifically when referencing the sea turtle or the surname Chao.

Write 鼂

鼂

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Frequently Asked Questions about 鼂

It is pronounced as 'cháo', with a rising tone.

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