绍 (shào) is a Chinese character meaning “to continue”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 召 (to summon; to call together), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to carry on; to introduce”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
纟 + 召
Left–right structure
Structure from: modern glyph decomposition verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke geometry (strokes 1-3 = 纟, strokes 4-8 = 召); radical from Unicode Unihan
Memory aid
A thread (纟) answers a summons (召). Both parts are really in this character: you take the thread someone holds out and carry it on — which is exactly what you do when you 介绍 two people.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 介绍jiè shàoto introduce; introduction绍 = shào
Go deeper
All readings
to carry on; to introduce
to continue; to carry on; (in 介绍) to introduce one party to another
继续、承接；在「介绍」中指使双方相识或把人、事物引进来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 介绍jiè shàoto introduce; introduction绍 = shào
Origin
The Shuowen Jiezi lists 绍 under the silk section and glosses it "to continue", written 从糸、召聲 — the silk radical for meaning, 召 for sound. The image is of joining a thread onto the one already there, which is why the word means "carry on, continue" and, later, "link two parties up".
Source: 说文解字·糸部：紹，繼也。从糸，召聲
Sound component
召 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 绍 mean?
绍 (shào) means to continue; to carry on; (in 介绍) to introduce one party to another.
How do you pronounce 绍?
It is pronounced shào.
What parts is 绍 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 召 (to summon; to call together), side by side. The recorded source is: modern glyph decomposition verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke geometry (strokes 1-3 = 纟, strokes 4-8 = 召); radical from Unicode Unihan. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 绍 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 绍?
纟. 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 绍?
Common ones are 介绍. The reading of 绍 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.