HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sǎo
broom
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sǎo
to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
to sweep
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
broom
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
扫
sào
to clean, to sweep, to wipe away; to weed out; to wipe out
HSK 3, v, 6 strokes, radical 扌, rank #4782, Medium
sǎo(sao3)
primary
T3
1to sweep
2broom
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March 24, 2026
扫(掃)sǎo(sao3)
The character 扫 (sǎo) primarily means 'to sweep' or 'to clean.' It is commonly used in contexts related to cleaning spaces, such as sweeping the floor, as well as metaphorically, like sweeping away obstacles or problems. This word emphasizes the action of removing dirt or unwanted things.
Strokes6Radical扌Frequency#4782DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with good luck and fortune, making sweeping a significant activity during festivals like the Lunar New Year, when people sweep away bad luck to welcome the new year.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person sweeping away dust with a broom, represented by the character 扫. The '扌' radical on the left resembles a hand, indicating an action, while the '扫' part sounds like 'sao,' reminding you of the sweeping sound made during cleaning.
Meanings of 扫
sǎo(sao3)
primary
1to sweep
2broom
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 扫
扫Simplified
掃Traditional
6Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#4782Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L3IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 扫
Podcast: 扫
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AI Study Notes for 扫
Quick Contrast
清 (qīng) vs 洗 (xǐ) — use 扫 when emphasizing the action of sweeping away dirt, while 清 focuses on making something clean in general, and 洗 specifically refers to washing.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person sweeping away dust with a broom, represented by the character 扫. The '扌' radical on the left resembles a hand, indicating an action, while the '扫' part sounds like 'sao,' reminding you of the sweeping sound made during cleaning.
Usage Notes
Be careful with the usage of 扫 as it is primarily an action verb and may not apply in all cleaning contexts. It's more informal, suitable for everyday conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 扫地 (sǎo dì - to sweep the floor) and 扫除 (sǎo chú - to eliminate).
HSK Study Tips
While 扫 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it connects with other action verbs like 洗 (xǐ - to wash) and 拖 (tuō - to mop) at HSK 2. Students should focus on the pronunciation and tone, as the third tone can sometimes lead to confusion with other similar-sounding words.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with good luck and fortune, making sweeping a significant activity during festivals like the Lunar New Year, when people sweep away bad luck to welcome the new year.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 扫 with 洗 (xǐ), leading to mistakes like saying '我在洗地' (Wǒ zài xǐ dì - I am washing the floor) instead of '我在扫地.' Remember, 扫 is specific to sweeping, not washing.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 扫
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Grammar Patterns of 扫
扫 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
The City's reputation has been sullied by scandals like those at Lloyd's.
Usage Notes for 扫
Mixing up 扫 with other cleaning verbsCommon Error
Learners often confuse 扫 (to sweep) with other cleaning verbs like 清理 (to clean up) or 擦 (to wipe).
1
我需要扫地。
I need to sweep the floor.
2
我需要擦桌子。
I need to wipe the table.
Exercise 1 of 1
Fill in the Blank
我需要____地。
I need to sweep the floor.
Example Sentences for 扫 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
类似劳埃德保险公司的那些丑闻令伦敦名声扫地。
lèi sì láo āi dé bǎo xiǎn gōng sī de nà xiē chǒu wén líng lún dūn míng shēng sǎo dì。
The City's reputation has been sullied by scandals like those at Lloyd's.
2
这一切为乐购的进一步发展扫清了障碍。
zhè yī qiē wéi lè gòu de jìn yī bù fā zhǎn sǎo qīng le zhàng ài。
It all leaves the way clear for Tesco to power ahead.
3
持枪歹徒朝天扫射了一排子弹。
chí qiāng dǎi tú zhāo tiān sǎo shè le yī pái zǐ dàn。
A gunman fired off a volley of shots into the air.
4
他扫完地，又干了几样杂活儿。
tā sǎo wán dì， ， yòu gān le jī yàng zá huó。
He sweeps up and does a few odds and ends.
5
他开始在画廊做扫地沏茶的工作。
tā kāi shǐ zài huà láng zuò sǎo dì qī chá de gōng zuò。
He started working for a gallery sweeping up and making the tea.
6
我不在的时候，你打扫一下厨房总该可以吧。
wǒ bù zài de shí hòu， ， nǐ dǎ sǎo yī xià chú fáng zǒng gāi kě yǐ。
And while I'm out you might clean up the kitchen.
7
拿扫帚把那些玻璃清扫干净好吗？
ná sǎo zhǒu bǎ nà xiē bō lí qīng sǎo gān jìng hǎo ma？
Get a broom and sweep up that glass will you?
8
那两个男人互相扫了一眼。
nà liǎng gè nán rén hù xiāng sǎo le yī yǎn。
The two men exchanged glances.
9
人质的获释可能会为发动战争扫清障碍。
rén zhì de huò shì kě néng huì wéi fā dòng zhàn zhēng sǎo qīng zhàng ài。
The hostage release could clear the decks for war.
10
她会把房子彻底打扫一下。
tā huì bǎ fáng zǐ chè dǐ dǎ sǎo yī xià。
She would clean the house from top to bottom.
Cultural Notes for 扫
💡Did you know?
In Chinese culture, sweeping the floor is often associated with sweeping away bad luck and welcoming good fortune, especially during the New Year celebrations.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with good luck and fortune, making sweeping a significant activity during festivals like the Lunar New Year, when people sweep away bad luck to welcome the new year.
Word Family of 扫
Words Containing This Character20
扫sǎoto sweep掃
扫描sǎomiáoto scan掃描
打扫dǎsǎoto clean打掃
扫地to sweep the floor掃地
清扫to tidy up清掃
扫兴sǎoxìngto feel disappointed掃興
横扫to sweep away橫掃
扫荡to root out掃蕩
扫帚broom掃帚
扫除sǎochúto sweep掃除
扫射to strafe掃射
扫描仪scanner (device)掃描儀
扫墓sǎomùthe Qingming festival掃墓
扫把broom掃把
扫盲to wipe out illiteracy掃盲
扫视to run one's eyes over掃視
扫黄campaign against pornography掃黃
扫描器scanner掃描器
一扫而光to clear off一掃而光
扫雷minesweeper (computer game)掃雷
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 扫 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 扫
扫 (sǎo) specifically refers to the action of sweeping, while 清理 (qīnglǐ) means to clean or tidy up, which can encompass a broader range of cleaning activities. Essentially, 扫 focuses on the sweeping action, whereas 清理 implies a more comprehensive cleaning process.
Yes, 扫 can be part of idiomatic expressions in Chinese. For example, '扫兴' (sǎo xìng) means 'to dampen enthusiasm' or 'to ruin the fun,' indicating that the character can also convey metaphorical meanings beyond its literal usage.
扫 (sǎo) means 'to sweep' in Chinese. It can refer to the action of cleaning a surface, such as using a broom or wiping away dust. This character can also imply weeding out or eliminating something.
You can use 扫 in a sentence like '我每天扫地' (Wǒ měitiān sǎo dì), which means 'I sweep the floor every day.' It indicates the action of cleaning and can be paired with objects to specify what is being swept.
You can say '我在扫地' (Wǒ zài sǎo dì) which means 'I am sweeping the floor.'
Yes, 扫 can also be used metaphorically, such as 扫除障碍 (sǎo chú zhàng ài), meaning 'to eliminate obstacles.'
