HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #21221, Hard
筛
shāi
to sift
HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #21221, Hard
筛
shāi
to sieve
HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #21221, Hard
筛
shāi
screen, sieve; to filter, to sift
HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #21221, Hard
shāi(shai1) T1
1to filter
2to sift
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March 24, 2026
筛(篩)shāi(shai1)
The verb 筛 (shāi) means to filter or sift, often used in contexts involving separating finer particles from coarser ones, such as when cooking or in laboratory settings. It can also refer to screening information or selecting based on specific criteria. This term is commonly used in both everyday language and more technical discussions.
Strokes12Radical⺮Frequency#21221DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cooking, sifting flour is a common practice to ensure the texture of baked goods is light and airy, reflecting the importance of precision in culinary traditions. This meticulous attention to detail is a cultural value that extends beyond cooking into many aspects of Chinese life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a chef sifting flour through a sieve, ensuring only the finest particles get through. The character 筛 resembles a sieve (the top part with the handle) filtering out the unwanted elements. The pronunciation 'shāi' sounds like 'shy', which you could imagine a shy person being careful about what they let through in a conversation.
Meanings of 筛
shāi(shai1)
1to filter
2to sift
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 筛
筛Simplified
篩Traditional
12Strokes
⺮Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#21221Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 筛
Podcast: 筛
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AI Study Notes for 筛
Quick Contrast
筛 (shāi) vs 过滤 (guò lǜ) — use 筛 when referring specifically to sifting or filtering solids, while 过滤 is for filtering liquids or gases.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a chef sifting flour through a sieve, ensuring only the finest particles get through. The character 筛 resembles a sieve (the top part with the handle) filtering out the unwanted elements. The pronunciation 'shāi' sounds like 'shy', which you could imagine a shy person being careful about what they let through in a conversation.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tonal pronunciation; the first tone (shāi) must be used correctly to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words. This term is generally used in both formal and informal contexts but is more common in everyday language. Common collocations include 筛选 (shāi xuǎn, to filter/select) and 筛除 (shāi chú, to eliminate).
HSK Study Tips
As a useful verb for HSK learners, 筛 can be connected to other action verbs at the same level, such as 选 (xuǎn, to choose) and 分 (fēn, to separate). Focus on practicing this verb in various contexts, particularly those related to cooking or data analysis, to enhance understanding.
Cultural Note
In Chinese cooking, sifting flour is a common practice to ensure the texture of baked goods is light and airy, reflecting the importance of precision in culinary traditions. This meticulous attention to detail is a cultural value that extends beyond cooking into many aspects of Chinese life.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 筛 (shāi) with 排 (pái), which means to arrange or line up. For example, saying '我需要排米' (Wǒ xūyào pái mǐ) instead of '我需要筛米' (Wǒ xūyào shāi mǐ) changes the intended meaning significantly.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 筛
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Grammar Patterns of 筛
筛 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 4 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.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
将锅里的东西倒到____子上。
Empty the contents of the pan into the sieve.
Example Sentences for 筛 (9)
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1
将锅里的东西倒到筛子上。
jiāng guō lǐ de dōng xī dǎo dào shāi zǐ shàng。
Empty the contents of the pan into the sieve.
2
这个机理的特殊情况就是 所谓 的筛分效应.
zhè gè jī lǐ de tè shū qíng kuàng jiù shì suǒ wèi de shāi fēn.
A special case of this mechanism is the so - called sieve effect.
The ferric acetylacetonate, phenyl betanaphthylamine , and lecithin are added through 40 - mesh screen.
9
ZSL旋翼筛是目前国内使用最广泛的一种精选设备,用于筛除浆料中的浆团及其它非纤维杂质.
ZSL ZSL xuán yì shāi shì mù qián guó nèi shǐ yòng zuì guǎng fàn de yī zhǒng jīng xuǎn shè, bèi , yòng yú shāi chú jiāng liào zhōng de jiāng tuán jí qí tā fēi xiān wéi.
ZSL series erivan screen is the most popular choiceness equipment at persent.
Cultural Notes for 筛
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese cooking, sifting flour is a common practice to ensure the texture of baked goods is light and airy, reflecting the importance of precision in culinary traditions. This meticulous attention to detail is a cultural value that extends beyond cooking into many aspects of Chinese life.
Word Family of 筛
Words Containing This Character6
筛选shāixuǎnto filter篩選
筛shāito filter篩
筛子sieve篩子
筛骨ethmoid bone (cheek)篩骨
分子筛molecular sieve分子篩
筛糠to sift chaff篩糠
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 筛选 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 筛
You can say, '我需要筛面粉' (Wǒ xūyào shāi miànfěn), which means 'I need to sift the flour.'
Yes, you can use 筛 to describe filtering information, such as '筛选数据' (shāi xuǎn shùjù), meaning 'filter data.'
筛 is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in contexts involving cooking or data analysis.
