哨 (shào) is a Chinese character meaning “a whistle”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 肖 (to resemble; likeness), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “whistle; sentry post”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 肖
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：哨，不容也。从口，肖声。现代字形拆分 ⿰口肖，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔画数核验（口 3 + 肖 7 = 哨 10）
Memory aid
Put your mouth (口) to it and blow: 肖 (xiào) gives the sound hint, and 口 tells you it is something you blow — a whistle.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 口哨kǒu shàowhistle (the sound made by blowing through the lips); a whistle哨 = shào
- 哨兵shào bīngsentry; sentinel哨 = shào
Go deeper
All readings
whistle; sentry post
a whistle; a sentry post or guard post; to patrol
哨子，吹出尖声的小器具；也指站岗巡逻的岗位。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 口哨kǒu shàowhistle (the sound made by blowing through the lips); a whistle哨 = shào
- 哨兵shào bīngsentry; sentinel哨 = shào
Sound component
肖 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 哨 mean?
哨 (shào) means a whistle; a sentry post or guard post; to patrol.
How do you pronounce 哨?
It is pronounced shào.
What parts is 哨 made of?
口 (mouth) and 肖 (to resemble; likeness), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：哨，不容也。从口，肖声。现代字形拆分 ⿰口肖，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔画数核验（口 3 + 肖 7 = 哨 10）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 哨 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 哨?
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 哨?
Common ones are 口哨 and 哨兵. The reading of 哨 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.