叼 (diāo) is a Chinese character meaning “to hold something in the mouth”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 刁 (tricky), side by side, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “to hold in the mouth”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 刁
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：第1–3笔为口，第4–5笔为刁）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to 刁 "crafty": the crafty dog clamps the bone in its mouth and trots off. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 叼住diāo zhùto hold fast in the mouth; to grip in the beak or teeth叼 = diāo
- 叼走diāo zǒuto carry off in the mouth叼 = diāo
Go deeper
All readings
to hold in the mouth
to hold something in the mouth; to grip between the teeth or beak
用嘴衔住东西（多指鸟兽）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 叼住diāo zhùto hold fast in the mouth; to grip in the beak or teeth叼 = diāo
- 叼走diāo zǒuto carry off in the mouth叼 = diāo
Sound component
刁 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 叼 mean?
叼 (diāo) means to hold something in the mouth; to grip between the teeth or beak.
How do you pronounce 叼?
It is pronounced diāo.
What parts is 叼 made of?
口 (mouth) and 刁 (tricky), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：第1–3笔为口，第4–5笔为刁）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 叼 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 叼?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 叼?
Common ones are 叼住 and 叼走. The reading of 叼 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.