哮 (xiào) is a Chinese character meaning “to roar”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 孝 (filial piety; respect for parents), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to roar; to wheeze”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 孝
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：哮，从口，孝声；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口 3 画 + 孝 7 画 = 10 画）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) beside a dutiful child (孝): even the most respectful child will open their mouth and roar when pushed too far.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 哮喘xiào chuǎnasthma哮 = xiào
- 咆哮páo xiàoto roar; to howl哮 = xiào
Go deeper
All readings
to roar; to wheeze
to roar; to howl; to wheeze (heavy, noisy breathing)
野兽吼叫，也指人大声怒吼；又指呼吸急促带有响声。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 哮喘xiào chuǎnasthma哮 = xiào
- 咆哮páo xiàoto roar; to howl哮 = xiào
Sound component
孝 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 哮 mean?
哮 (xiào) means to roar; to howl; to wheeze (heavy, noisy breathing).
How do you pronounce 哮?
It is pronounced xiào.
What parts is 哮 made of?
口 (mouth) and 孝 (filial piety; respect for parents), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：哮，从口，孝声；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口 3 画 + 孝 7 画 = 10 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 哮 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 哮?
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 哮?
Common ones are 哮喘 and 咆哮. The reading of 哮 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.