啸 (xiào) is a Chinese character meaning “to whistle”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 肃 (solemn; respectful), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to whistle; to howl”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
口 + 肃
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：嘯，吹聲也。从口，肅聲。简化字作啸。现代字形拆分 ⿰口肃，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔画数核验（口 3 + 肃 8 = 啸 11）
Memory aid
A long, sharp sound coming from the mouth (口): 肃 (sù) is the old sound hint, and 口 tells you the sound is blown out — to whistle, to howl.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 海啸hǎi xiàotsunami啸 = xiào
- 呼啸hū xiàoto whistle; to howl (of wind, bullets, etc.)啸 = xiào
Go deeper
All readings
to whistle; to howl
to whistle; to give a long, loud cry; to howl or roar (of wind, animals, the sea)
撮口发出长而清脆的声音；也指人、动物或风、海等发出长而响亮的声音。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 海啸hǎi xiàotsunami啸 = xiào
- 呼啸hū xiàoto whistle; to howl (of wind, bullets, etc.)啸 = xiào
Sound component
肃 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 啸 mean?
啸 (xiào) means to whistle; to give a long, loud cry; to howl or roar (of wind, animals, the sea).
How do you pronounce 啸?
It is pronounced xiào.
What parts is 啸 made of?
口 (mouth) and 肃 (solemn; respectful), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：嘯，吹聲也。从口，肅聲。简化字作啸。现代字形拆分 ⿰口肃，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔画数核验（口 3 + 肃 8 = 啸 11）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 啸 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 啸?
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 啸?
Common ones are 海啸 and 呼啸. The reading of 啸 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.