捎 (shāo) is a Chinese character meaning “to take or bring something along for someone on the way”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 肖 (to resemble; likeness), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to bring along (for someone)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
扌 + 肖
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 捎，自關巳西，凡取物之上者爲撟捎。从手肖聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：扌 3 画 + 肖 7 画 = 10 画）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) carrying a little package that looks just like (肖) yours — "while you're going, bring this along for me."
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 捎带shāo dàito take along incidentally; to do in passing捎 = shāo
- 捎信shāo xìnto take a message or letter for someone捎 = shāo
Go deeper
All readings
to bring along (for someone)
to take or bring something along for someone on the way; to pass on (a message)
顺便带（东西或消息）给别人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 捎带shāo dàito take along incidentally; to do in passing捎 = shāo
- 捎信shāo xìnto take a message or letter for someone捎 = shāo
Rare readings, not taught: shào
Sound component
肖 family onset shift
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 捎 mean?
捎 (shāo) means to take or bring something along for someone on the way; to pass on (a message).
How do you pronounce 捎?
It is pronounced shāo.
What parts is 捎 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 肖 (to resemble; likeness), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 捎，自關巳西，凡取物之上者爲撟捎。从手肖聲（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：扌 3 画 + 肖 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 捎 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 捎?
手. 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 捎?
Common ones are 捎带 and 捎信. The reading of 捎 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.