庙 (miào) is a Chinese character meaning “temple”. It is written from 广 (wide; dotted cliff radical) and 由 (from; by way of; cause), one enclosing the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “temple”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
广 + 由
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代简化字形构形分析（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 广 / 3-7 由，3+5=8 画）；只描述今形，不追溯古字来源
Memory aid
A wide roof (广) sheltering 由 — the hall you come by way of to pay your respects. A temple.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 寺庙sì miàotemple庙 = miào
- 庙会miào huìtemple fair庙 = miào
Go deeper
All readings
temple
temple; shrine; ancestral hall
供奉神佛或祖先的建筑物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 寺庙sì miàotemple庙 = miào
- 庙会miào huìtemple fair庙 = miào
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 庙 mean?
庙 (miào) means temple; shrine; ancestral hall.
How do you pronounce 庙?
It is pronounced miào.
What parts is 庙 made of?
广 (wide; dotted cliff radical) and 由 (from; by way of; cause), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形构形分析（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-2 广 / 3-7 由，3+5=8 画）；只描述今形，不追溯古字来源. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 庙 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 庙?
广. 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 庙?
Common ones are 寺庙 and 庙会. The reading of 庙 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.